2 B a Master
by Lioconvoy
Summary: In order to redeem himself in his mother's eyes Ranma must follow the path of his Grandfather, the lengadary Pokemom Master Satoshi
1. Prologue: Returning home

The characters of Ranma1/2 and Pokemon do not belong me. Nor do any of the other known characters that may appear in this story. The story is mine, however and it is made for entertainment purpose only, not for profit.

2 B a Master by Lioconvoy

Prologue: Returning home

Ranma felt as if the weight of the world was on his shoulders. Truth be told, it was only that of his fathers and his own travel packs. His old man made him carry both as they swam from Houenn back to Kanto. When they arrived in Fuchsia City their first task was to find some hot water, then Ranma's father promised to take his travel pack from him.

Well as luck would have it, bad luck, after they found some hot water someone recognized Genma, Officer Jenny. Apparently there were several warrants for his arrest and he was taken in. Mind you it had taken a squad of officers and their Growlithes to do it, but nonetheless Ranma's father was now in jail.

So after a bit of traveling in police custody, Ranma walked with Pallet Town's Officer Jenny to what he was told was his mother's home. Still carrying both travel packs Ranma had no idea what he should be feeling. His father was in jail, but he was about to meet his mother who he hadn't seen in years.

-v-v-v-v-

Nodoka sat in the living room while her Mr. Mime was cleaning the kitchen. Mimey had always been a great help; her grandmother had given him to her as a pokemon egg when she was little. She sighed, how did her grandmother do it? Her grandfather had died, and her father was always on Pokemon journeys. How could grandmother stand living alone like this?

In Nodoka's case her husband was still alive but he had taken their son on not a Pokemon journey, but a martial arts journey. It's not like they even visited her at all during their training. Her sisters did visit from time to time, but she missed her husband and son. Maybe she should go to Cerulean City to visit her family. It had been a bit since she had seen her own father and mother.

Just then there was a knock at the door Nodoka got up to see who it was. To her surprise it was her friend Jenny. However, Jenny was in uniform so this visit was business. 'Dear god what did my husband do now' she thought to herself. Before she could ask what was wrong Officer Jenny spoke first.

"I have both good news and bad news for you No-chan"

"May I have the bad news first Officer Jenny?" Nodoka frowned still hoping for the best.

"We've caught your husband and resisting arrest has been added to the long list of charges to his name. The good news however is, I believe this belongs to you." Officer Jenny smiled; she and Nodoka had been long time friends, she was happy to be returning her son to her. She motioned for him to come to the door from where he was standing.

"Hi Mom?" Ranma knew he was more asking then stating a fact, but it had been over ten years since he last saw her and he didn't remember her face. However having the life squeezed out of him was a sure sign that this was his mother.

-v-v-v-v-

After a brief talk with Jenny, Nodoka came inside to see Ranma coming from his room. "Welcome home Ranma."

"Thanks Mom." Ranma said nervously.

"So tell me, how has your training has been? Your father sent letters home and Jenny has told me of some of his other activities, but I'd like to hear how you've been." Nodoka could't help but smile, here after so many years, was her son. Despite the example Genma had set for him it seemed he turned out well. Maybe in his own obscene way Genma had kept his promise after all.

"Well it wasn't all that bad except maybe for the Neko-ken and Jusenkyo. Me and Pop's did allota lot of traveling and I've gotten pretty strong." Ranma smiled a bit happy his mother wanted to hear about his training. However he did wonder what she would think of him after she saw his curse. He wouldn't try to hide it from her though. She was his mother after all.

"Would the Neko-ken have something to do with the mutilated Meowth found in Lavender Town?" To this Nodoka frowned, there had not been any evidence that that particular incident was connected to her husband, but something told her it had indeed been another of Genma's travesties.

Ranma shivered as he remembered the training he had tried so hard to forget. He remembered pops throwing him in the pit of Meowth, he remembered how scared he was down there, and then he remembered after the third attempt to learn the technique he had gotten out of the pit himself, covered in the smell of blood. "Yeah…"

Nodoka saw this was something her son didn't want to remember anymore so she changed the subject. "What's Jusenkyo?"

"It's a secret training ground Pop had heard about in Houenn. What he didn't know it was secret because it was cursed and they didn't want people to get cursed themselves." Ranma replied. He saw that his mother looked a bit skeptical. "Um, where's the kitchen?"

"Are you hungry? I can have Mimey fix you something." Nodoka said quickly.

"Um, not really Officer Jenny fed me before coming here. I just need a glass of hot water and a glass of cold water." As Ranma said this, his mother's Mister Mime went to the kitchen and brought back the two glasses he asked for. Ranma took them and dumped half the glass of cold water on himself and changed into a smaller, red haired, female version of himself. "You see while we were training there we fell into the springs. Dad turns into a panda, and I turn into a girl."

Nodoka gasped as her son poured half the glass of hot water on himself, or herself until the water soaked him, and changed back to a male. It was now clear to her that her husband had not kept his promise. She then calmed her mind down before she showed her anger outwardly. Ranma's curse didn't seem to affect him too much, he hadn't tried to hide it, and maybe it wasn't so bad after all. It wasn't permanent and the more Nodoka thought about it, she had been alone for far too long to have Ranma fulfill the conditions of the promise Genma had made to her. He was her son no matter what. "Well Ranma it's a bit late and I'm a little tired. We will continue this talk in the morning."

Ranma watched his mother get up and walk to her room. He could sense she was disappointed. He frowned and made his way to his own room.

-v-v-v-v-

Ranma laid in his bed looking up at the ceiling. This was his room, not some tent, not some cheap hotel, but his room. On the road he didn't have many things he could call his own. Now he had a room, a soft bed, a digital alarm clock, a dresser, and a closet.

Still the reason he couldn't sleep wasn't because of the joy of having a room, it was because he disappointed his mother. As much as he tried, he could care less if he disappointed his father. After all the old man had done to him in his life, Ranma was more than happy he was in jail. He knew he shouldn't be, and he could forgive his father for Jusenkyo, but his mother had unintentionally reminded him of the one thing he could never forgive his father for, The Neko-ken. It had taken Ranma a long time to even say the name of the technique with out recalling all the mutilated Meowth in the pit. Even to this day he feared any feline type Pokemon.

He knew why he disappointed his mother. He was only half a man. How could any mother be happy with that? Ranma turned his head to his clock. It was pretty late. Then he noticed the clock go dead, he got up to turn the light on but it wouldn't work either. In the hall he heard some noise so he went to check it out.

As Ranma got in the hallway he saw his mother's Mr. Mime chasing a wild Pikachu that had gotten in the house. Ranma had heard wild Pikachu like to chew on power cables, which was probably why the power was out.

As the Pikachu passed by Ranma it took the time to shock him and Mr. Mime. Of course with all the things his father had put him though it didn't hurt all that much, but still he didn't much care for electric rodents shocking him so he decided help Mr. Mime in chasing the Pikachu.

-v-v-v-v-

Nodoka woke up with the sun shining through her window. She got out of bed and looked at her clock and noticed it was blinking 12:00. "Mimey!"

Mimey came in the room shortly carrying some tools and dressed in a pair of overalls. "Mime mime mime."

"I see, thank you for fixing the power. Were you able to catch the Pikachu?" She had known Mimey since she was a child, and somehow she could always understand him. Apparently a Pikachu had gotten in the house last night and chewed on the electrical wires. Mimey had fixed them himself.

"Mime mime."

"Ranma did?" Nodoka put on her robe and looked into the living room to see both Ranma and the Pikachu unconscious on the floor. The Pikachu had been lassoed but apparently that didn't stop it from shocking Ranma. Although it looked like it tired itself out trying to get away though.

-v-v-v-v-

Ranma woke up to find himself, or herself she noticed, in her bed. She hadn't remembered getting back in her bed after chasing the Pikachu last night. What she did remember was lassoing it just before it shocked her into unconsciousness.

"Oh you're awake." Nodoka said as she entered her son's/daughter's room. "I'm sorry I had to turn you into a girl, but you were too heavy for me and Mimey to carry as a guy."

"That's okay Mom, uh what happened to the Pikachu?"

Nodoka held a Pokeball and handed it to her son. "He's in here. Tell me Ranma are you interested in becoming a Pokemon Trainer? I know you'd be starting a bit late, but still it might be something you'd enjoy after all the training you've done with your father."

"A Pokemon Trainer? Not really. I'd rather fight myself then have something else do it for me." Ranma looked at the Pokeball, she actually felt sorry for Pikachu trapped in it. Her father had a Snorlax that he would make her fight while he was busy stealing sometimes. Ranma had never liked it when his father would put the poor thing in its Pokeball.

"Well Ranma there are two reasons you should think hard about this. First while you're on a Pokemon journey you won't have to go to school, and second your father had made a promise to me. So far you've shown me that you are an honest young man, but your father had promised that when you returned you'd be a man among men. I'm willing to overlook your curse, but only if you can become a great Pokemon trainer. Otherwise you and your father will have to face the consequence of not fulfilling that promise." Nodoka had said that last part looking as mean as she could. To be honest she had no intentions of having Ranma kill himself, Genma was a different story, but she wanted him to make the right decision. If not going to school wasn't enough of a reason then the threat would be. Personally when her father had told her and her sisters they wouldn't have to go to school they had all jumped on it. Then again her mother had mentioned that her youngest sister didn't need such coaxing.

Ranma looked at her mother with her eyes wide open. She didn't like the sound of consequences, but no school sounded good. "Okay I'll do it."

-v-v-v-v-

Two weeks after his mother convinced him to be a Pokemon Trainer, Ranma stood on a hill over looking Pallet town. It hadn't been difficult to get a trainer's license and with his Pikachu on his shoulder and his fathers Snorlax on his belt he was ready to start his journey.

--

Lio's Corner:

-I don't know why but lately I've wanted to do a Ranma/Pokemon fusion. So here it is.

-Sorry like my other fics its updates are dependant upon inspiration. I'm still trying to figure out how to end the second chapter of "Out There", and "Slay Ranma" is on hold till I remember exactly how I wanted to do that story. For those few of you that have actually read "Personality", Hiraishin is holding that one up. I have been getting on him for it.

Update 22 Mar 09:

- There are some minor revision with some simple errors I missed and a couple rephrasing.


	2. Ch1: Back on the road

The characters of Ranma1/2 and Pokemon are not mine. Nor do any of the other known characters that may appear in this story. Hiraishin belongs to himself but has given permission to appear in this story.

2 B A Master by Lioconvoy

Chapter 1: Back on the road

Ranma took one last look at Pallet Town and walked into the forest on his way to Viridian City. On his shoulder sat Jean Luc, his Pikachu. Ranma didn't care for that name himself, but it had been the name of his Grandfather's Pikachu and he thought his mother might like it if he named his new partner in honor of him. Needless to say she was ecstatic.

Some how Ranma got the feeling his mother's definition of a man among men was her father. During the last two weeks preparing for this journey she would talk endlessly about her father, who was one of the world's greatest Pokemon Masters, or at least as she told it. Personally some of the stories sounded a bit far fetched.

Then again he was cursed to turn into a girl with cold water; maybe it was possible his grandfather had saved the world with nothing but his Pokemon and his courage. Apparently Ranma would get to meet him once he got to Cerulean City; there he'd get to see his mother again as well since she'd be visiting her family. She had taken off this morning on a Pidgeot.

As he walked further into the forest his thoughts turned from his mother back to Jean Luc. In the last two weeks they had come to an understanding. Jean Luc liked being in his pokeball as much as Ranma liked putting him in there; so long as he behaved he didn't have to be in it, which suited the both of them just fine.

Jean Luc was a pretty low level Pokemon and Ranma tried to toughen him up by teaching him the Martial Arts but he never could get it. Jean Luc did level up a bit from their spars though and he in turn gained a better endurance for electric attacks, which was a good thing 'cause Jean Luc had a habit of shocking him even when they weren't sparring.

His father's Snorlax was a completely different story. Ranma had dug him out of his pop's pack and released him from his pokeball, and then he actually put himself back in it. Professor Okido, Pallet Town's resident Pokemon Expert, had explained that it would take time for Ranma to be able to control Snorlax because of his high levels.

-v-v-v-v-

Shigeru Okido sat at his desk, petting his Eevee. His old Umbreon had passed on a few years ago but left a son behind to keep the Professor company. Sure Shigeru looked after most of the Pokemon of Pallet Town, but it wasn't the same as having his own Pokemon by his side.

"Professor Okido?"

Shigeru turned from his papers to his assistant, "Yes Ginny?"

"Sir your Grandson is missing and I can't find his Charmeleon anywhere."

Shigeru smiled, it looked like history was repeating itself indeed. Many years ago he and Saitoshi took off on a Pokemon journey that would change there lives for ever, and now their Grandchildren were doing the same thing.

-- One week ago --

Ryoga like his father preferred the Martial arts to Pokemon. However when he was given Charmander for his twelfth birthday he took good care of him, he just never aspired to go on a Pokemon Journey no matter how many times Shigeru tried to persuade him. Still Ryoga's Charmander eventually did evolve to a Charmeleon by fighting with some of the Pokemon the Professor looked after.

Then came Ranma, also a Martial artist, although unlike Kyo, Ryoga's father, Genma had been able to talk Nodoka into allowing Ranma to go out into the world to train. This gave Ranma a much better training experience than Ryoga had at home. When Ryoga found out Ranma had finally returned the first thing he did was challenge the pig-tailed boy, and lost. This annoyed Ryoga to no end, then he found out Ranma was going to become a Pokemon Trainer. That led to today. Ranma had finally gotten his Trainers license and Ryoga wanted the honor of being his first opponent.

"Ready Ranma" Shigeru's grandson scowled with his Charmeleon by his side.

"Whenever you are Ryoga." Ranma said with his Pikachu on his shoulder and a pokeball on his belt.

"Proceed" Ginny yelled telling both Ranma and Ryoga to send there Pokemon into the field.

Charmeleon ran from Ryoga's side and Pikachu leaped from Ranma's shoulder.

"Charmeleon Dig!" Ryoga yelled sending the fire lizard underground. Ranma and his Pikachu both scanned the field wondering where Charmeleon would pop up when it appeared from underneath the Pikachu knocking it back to Ranma.

It was obvious that Pikachu's level was too low compared to Charmeleon's. The poor electric rodent was K.. Ranma picked up his partner and cradled him in one arm.

"Heh that was way too easy Ranma." Ryoga smirked proud he was able to beat his childhood friend.

"It's not over yet I still have another Pokemon." Ranma said while using his free hand to take the pokeball off of his belt and releasing its resident.

Ryoga stared at the Snorlax now sitting in the field eating a watermelon. He had seen Ranma practicing with Pikachu and had always assumed that the pokeball he carried was his. This caught him off guard, Snorlax were rare and powerful Pokemon, but they were also known for being lazy as well. "Charmeleon Ember!"

The fire lizard obeyed and scorched the watermelon being eaten by Snorlax. This seemed to be a fatal mistake for Charmeleon because Snorlax got up and stood in an odd stance with his paws in front of him and then disappeared seconds later Charmeleon was flat one the ground with tracks on his back. Snorlax then reappeared in the same odd stance and then fell asleep.

"What in the world was that Ranma!" Ryoga couldn't believe his eyes, that wasn't a Pokemon move was it?

"How should I know? I didn't tell Snorlax to do that." It was rather plain to see that Ranma honestly was just as baffled as Ryoga.

"Well it looks like Ranma is the winner." Ginny proclaimed.

--The Present--

"Good luck on your Journey Ryoga." Shigeru smiled to himself.

-v-v-v-v-

"If Ranma can get strong by a training journey then so will I." Ryoga and his Charmeleon set off in the opposite direction of Ranma.

"Char lon mel" Charmeleon spoke up remembering his own defeat.

"We'll both get stronger, and get revenge on Ranma and his Snorlax."

-v-v-v-v-

"I wonder how much farther to Viridian City." Ranma commented to Jean Luc.

"Pika."

Although the pigtailed trainer didn't exactly know what his partner just said, he could guess that he didn't have a clue either.

"Hey you!"

That wasn't Jean Luc, Ranma looked up and in a near by tree he saw a girl about his age standing on a branch. She jump down and landed perfectly on her feet. Taking a look at the girl, she was wearing blue shorts and a equally blue t-shirt, around her waist was a belt pack that girls seemed to wear apposed to back packs. Why they did this Ranma had no clue. She was rather cute though with her hair in a pony-tail. "Yeah? What ya want?"

"How much farther is it to Pallet town?"

"It's about the two hour or so walk from here" Ranma wasn't an expert, but the girl seemed a bit annoyed, but she was the one who flagged him down with a 'Hey you.'

"Two hours! I knew I should have tried harder to talk my father into allowing me to get a bike. He said I was too young to have a boyfriend, I'm sixteen! And what does that have to do with a bike!" The girl waved her hands in the air frustrated. "I'm Ukyo."

It was a bit odd the girl was now introducing herself, but Ranma decided to follow in suit. "I'm Ranma. You know, I think my mom mentioned that my gramps met his future wife by totaling her bike."

"Really? Still I'm sixteen! Mom said Nodoka met her husband when she was sixteen. Then again dads never spoke highly of Genma, maybe he's afraid I'd end up making a mistake like that." She pouted what was so wrong about her meeting a guy. Ukyo looked at the trainer in front of her. He wore a strange red sleeveless shirt, blue jeans, and a pair of running shoes. On his back he carried a larger backpack than most boys carried and on his shoulder was a Pikachu.

"Did you say Genma? Do you mean Genma Saotome?" Both of them had introduced themselves with their first names only…so the girl didn't know he was a Saotome. Still she said his dad married her sister, and that she was sixteen? How old was his mom?

"Um, yeah. My dad calls him a bum. He took my nephew from sis and she's never seen him again. Why?" The pony tailed girl tilted her head, her bother-in-law wasn't a infamous criminal or something was he?

Ranma blinked. This girl, Ukyo, she was his Aunt? What to say about this, should he say anything? He looked at Jean Luc hoping his partner had an answer.

"Chu"

"Is something wrong?" Ranma was looking at his Pokemon and not her. Why?

"Aunty Ucchan?" In an instant the girl in front of him fainted. "Jean Luc, I don't think I should have done that."

"Chu pika pika"

Ranma got the impression his Pikachu agreed with him.

-v-v-v-v-

Ukyo opened her eyes to see the forest ceiling above her. She was laying on a sleeping bag…what happened…oh yeah the boy had called her 'Aunty Ukyo'. The cute boy who appeared to be her age called her his aunt. Something was very wrong with that picture. Okay, her sisters never mentioned their ages, but she knew the gaps between each of them. There was three years between Nodoka and Haruka, five years between Haruka and Kimiko, and she didn't have the slightest clue how much older Kimiko was than her… "THIS MAKE NO SENSE!"

"What makes no sense?" Ranma sat next to Ukyo tending to a camp fire. While waiting for his aunt to wake up it had started to get dark. Although he wasn't that far from home, there was no point in heading back and this small clearing seemed a perfect place to camp out at.

"You can't be my nephew, I know my sisters look young, but there is no way Nodoka is old enough to have a sixteen year old." Math wasn't her favorite subject, but Nodoka met Genma at sixteen and they were married a year later, Genma was two years older than Nodoka. Her nephew…she never learned his name, was born a year after that. So Nodoka was 18 when she had her son…if Ranma here was her son then that would make her 34, Haruka would be 31, and Kimiko would be 26. That meant…that meant there was ten years between her and Kimiko…Kimiko only looked 18...she knew her sisters were older than they looked but that much older?

"But I'm the son of Genma and Nodoka Saotome. I may not be the brightest, but what are the chances of their being another Genma/Nodoka Saotome couple?" Still the fact he had an aunt his own age was pretty weird too.

"I refuse to believe it. I know I was young when my older sister married, but if what you're saying is true…I wasn't even born at that point." In her mind it was impossible, yes he parents looked old, but not that old. "Stop playing with me, who are you really?"

"I'm really Ranma Saotome. I've been on a training journey with my pop since I was four, and I just got home a little over a week ago. For reasons I'd rather not go into, my mom decided I needed to go on a Pokemon journey." Even if this girl was his aunt, she didn't need to know about his curse.

"Pika pik pika chu."

Turning to his partner besides him, some how he got the feeling Jean Luc wanted him to tell her about his curse. There was no way he was going to do it. "That's our secret, okay Jean Luc?"

"You understand him?" Ukyo sat upright and looked to who Ranma was talking to, it was his Pikachu, had he just replied to his Pokemon?

"Not really, I guess I kinda get a feeling of what he's trying to say though. I probably get that from my mom, she seems to understand Mimey." While he was studying to get his license he observed his mother have lots of conversations with Mimey, it was pretty weird at first, but then working with Jean Luc he started to be able to understand him, not to the point where he knew exactly what his Pikachu was saying, but he always had an impression of what it was trying to pass on.

Lowering her head…there was no denying it, Mimey was her sisters first Pokemon, and Nodoka did understand it. Ranma was her nephew. "If you call me Aunty Ucchan again I'll hurt you."

"So you accept I'm your nephew? Can I call you Ucchan?"

"…I guess, but only if I can call you Ranchan" If he was going to give her a nickname she was going to give him one, besides Ucchan was better than U-ko. Her sisters used to call her that saying she needed to be reminded she was a girl.

Ranchan? It sounded a bit girly to him, but why not. "Hey I have dinner ready, you hungry?"

"Yeah, thank you." Ukyo smiled, he didn't protest about the nickname, it was really too bad he was her nephew. Still, there was nothing wrong with her getting to know her family, she could wait to see her older sister a little longer.

-v-v-v-v-

Ranma opened his eyes as the sun started shining though the trees. Sleeping on the ground wasn't comfortable but he figured the right thing was to let Ukyo use the sleeping bag. Raising his head he looked for Jean Luc, the Pikachu had gotten into the habit of sleeping on his chest, he wasn't there? Standing up he examined himself, he still had his Pokedex, but he was missing the pokeball for his father's Snorlax. Both his Pokemon…Team Rocket came to his mind but out here? "Ukyo! Wake up!"

Ukyo slowly awakened, Ranma's sleeping bag was pretty worn, but surprisingly comfortable. Looking around she saw her nephew digging though his bag for some reason. "What's wrong?"

"Jean Luc is missing, and so is my father's Snorlax. It doesn't look like I'm missing anything else, check your stuff too." Professor Okido warned him, and he still wasn't prepared. How could he have let this happen? After Ukyo got up from his sleeping bag, he started rolling it up. He would catch the thieves and get his Pikachu back; he would not abandon his partner.

"They got my Pokemon too, and my Water Stone!" Ukyo was furious, it had taken her forever to save up for the Water Stone, the only reason she hadn't used it yet was she wanted her Staryu to learn some more moves first.

"Muh huh huh huh huh huh huh!"

Ranma looked up standing on a high branch of a tree were two men. One was clad in black: boots, spandex, cape, mask, and bandana; upon his chest was a large red 'R' and as well smaller red 'R's were randomly placed on the bandana. The second man, the laughing one, wore white: boots, jeans, t-shit, and jacket; on the jacket's sleeves were large red 'R'. Unlike the first you could see the second one's face, he had a red goatee, short red hair and black framed glasses. "Team Rocket!"

"To send the world into devastation"

"To disrupt the peace within our Nation"

"To Obey the orders of the Boss above"

"To Steal the Pokemon the Trainers love"

"Hiraishin!"

"Lio"

"Team Rocket rocking at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now or we shall fight!"

"Give us back our Pokemon!" The pigtailed trainer couldn't believe this, they had already robbed them and now Team Rocket returned to the scene of the crime.

"Now why would we do that?" Lio smiled, another successful nab; eight Pokemon and a Water Stone. Holding up the sack with the couple's items the elder rocket couldn't help but be smug.

"Finders keepers, looser weepers. Ha ha, I love how stupid you guys look." Hiraishin smiled widely, sure they could have just left with the ill gotten gains, but half the fun of being a Rocket was rubbing in the fact that the people they steal from are stupid.

"Shampoo, thief attack!"

Ranma watched in horror…a Meowth appeared out of nowhere and stole the bag with his Pokemon. "CATTTTT!"

"Ranma?" Ukyo was in shock. Everything was happening so fast first Team Rocket appeared, then a Meowth grabs their stuff, and now Ranma was running away. What in the world what going on?

-v-

Lio's Corner:

-Nice place to end the first chapter huh? Yep there's a self insert, don't worry Hiraishin and I won't be too constant in the story.

-For those wondering about my other works; I think I know what I'm going to do with Out There, Personality is still being held up by Hiraishin, and I think I may give up on Slay Ranma it's been stale too long and I'm just not sure what I wanted to do with it.

Update 22 Mar 09:

-Minor revision, mostly spelling errors and simple grammar mistakes.


	3. Ch2: New Companions

The characters of Ranma1/2 and Pokemon are not mine. Nor do any of the other known characters that may appear in this story. Hiraishin belongs to himself but has given permission to appear in this story.

2 B A Master by Lioconvoy

Pre-chapter note: The Prologue and first chapter have been revised, please read/re-read them before reading this chapter.

Chapter 2: New Companions

Today just started on the wrong foot, Ukyo stood confused, what was going on? First Ranma woke her up after finding out they had been robbed, and then the thieves; Team Rocket, showed up to brag. Moments later Team Rocket got their stolen items stolen from them by a Meowth. Seeing the Meowth caused her nephew to yell and run right into a tree. What was going on?

"Who dares steal from TEAM ROCKET?" Hiraishin blamed Lio for this if he had been holding the bag, then the Meowth wouldn't have taken it. A Meowth…, he wanted the kitty, they would have to capture it. Taking out a pokeball he released his Fearrow. "Skywalker, get that kitty!"

Lio dodged several shuriken, and then he noticed what appeared to be the source of their problem. A young man with long black hair dressed in Houenn robes; from his sleeve he appeared to be grabbing more pointy items. There was only one thing to do, have one of his Pokemon fight his battle. Pulling out a pokeball, he tried to release his Blazeken, instead he found his pokeball empty. "Hiraishin, where is Wildride?"

"I sold him for five dollars and thirty-two cents." The masked Rocket watched as Skywalker chased the fleeing Meowth. The Kitty would be his, then he got hit in the back of his head. Turning he saw his partner with his fist raised. "Hey!"

"You sold my Blazeken for five dollars!" The redhead pulled out another of his pokeballs. He then released the Pokemon inside.

"And thirty-two cents..." Hiraishin pulled a smoke bomb out from underneath his cape...Lio had brought out his Gengar that meant only one thing.

"Jhiaxus, Torment!" Lio smiled, his partner was going to pay.

With those words Hiraishin threw down the smoke bomb. Fleeing was his best option and Skywalker would return on its own.

-v-v-v-v-

Fifteen minutes after the Rockets had run off Ukyo inventoried the bag that was handed to her by the older boy in strange robes, he sat examining Ranma. Finding one of Ranma's pokeballs, she released its content to be surprised by a Snorlax. The giant Pokemon took it's pokeball from her before she could even blink her eyes and then joined the strange boy at her nephew's side. Taking Ranma's other pokeball she released his Pikachu.

"Pika?"

"Ranma's hurt." She didn't have her sister's knack for understanding Pokemon, but the Pikachu was probably worried where its master was.

"He's not hurt that badly" The ravened hair boy watched as the Snorlax picked up the pigtailed boy. "What are you doing?"

To Ukyo's surprise and judging by the face their rescuer's, his too, the Snolax held up a wooden sign.

'I'm carrying him; we need to get to Viridian city before he runs out of food to feed me.' Then Snolax yawned as he held up another sign. 'Now hurry up and pack the masters belongings.'

"A Snorlax that can communicate in English, amazing. I guess we should follow its lead." The former Amazon adjusted his glasses. He had stumbled upon an interesting trainer. "Oh, I haven't introduced myself yet, my name is Mousse."

"I'm Ukyo, and the one the Snorlax is carrying is Ranma." Her sister mentioned that Genma had an odd Snorlax, this must be it. It wasn't like a Snorlax to actually be willing to work even if it was to get food.

-v-v-v-v-

Ranma opened his eyes; he was being carried over the shoulder by his father's Snorlax again. Whenever the giant Pokemon beat him, he would carry him like this back to his father. Now though his father was in Jail, so where was the Snorlax carrying him.

"Hey, he's awake now Genma, you can put him down." Mousse was truly amazed by the normally slothful Pokemon. It passed quickly through the forest despite its size and girth.

"Genma?" As the Snorlax put the pigtailed trainer down, it held up a wooden sign.

'Your aunt decided to name me after your father.'

"And you don't mind?" After taking his backpack from the newcomer to their party, Jean Luc jumped from Ukyo's shoulder to his own. "Um, who are you?"

"This is Mousse, he's the reason we got our Pokemon back." Ukyo smiled as she saw how happy Jean Luc was to be back with her nephew.

'Yes I mind, but they wouldn't pay attention to me.' Genma held up the sign, but he had a feeling like before it wouldn't be read, that's how he ended up named after his first trainer.

"Thank you for helping us. Um that demon wasn't yours was it?" Ranma frowned; the thought of a feline Pokemon around was scary.

"You mean Shampoo, she's in her pokeball and I'll keep her there if she scares you. I'm surprised someone from the outside world is stupid enough to try and teach the Nekoken." Mousse frowned from what Ukyo told him already, Ranma had been trained by his father. What kind of father would put his child though that torture.

"Outside world?" Ukyo titled her head, what did Mousse mean?

"You're from Jusendo Valley? Wait, your … is named after her?" The pigtailed trainer shivered, Shampoo was bad enough, but combined with a …

"So you've heard of Jusendo, yes that is where I and Mumu-chan are from. I left for various reasons, one of which was the treatment Mumu-chan received." In his arms Mousse held his first Pokemon, the shiny white Psyduck he named Mumu-chan. Many of the younger girls played cruel games with his partner simply because of his odd color. "Do you know Shampoo?"

"I met her while me and my pops were training." The youngest Saotome felt no reason to mention the purple haired girl was trying to kill him, he wasn't sure if his savior would try to finish the job or not.

"I see. How's she doing?" It had been a four years since the robed boy left his the hidden Amazon village. He truly loved Shampoo, but he couldn't stay in that village any longer. Not after what happen to his sister.

"Okay, you two seem to know what each other is talking about, so could one of you fill me in?" Ukyo really hated being in the dark.

"In Houenn, there is a little known valley called Jusendo. Jusendo Valley is home of Jusenkyo, and the hidden Amazon village. The Amazons are a people whose traditions date back even before the great disaster that changed the shape of the world and the animals that live on it." Mousse paused, Ranma seemed to have an idea of what he was talking about, but Ukyo didn't seem to have a clue. "The world didn't always have animals that evolve like Pokemon, once there were animals that only had one shape throughout their entire life. Jusenkyo, holds the remains of many such animals within it's many cursed springs."

"Cursed Springs?" As many strange things were in the world, the youngest of the four Cerulean sisters found it hard to believe in cursed springs.

"Jusenkyo is a collection of springs; each spring has a tragic story of some creature or person that drowned in it. If someone were to fall into a spring they'd take on the form of whatever drowned in it. Hot water will restore them, but cold water places them back into their cursed state." From what the former Amazon had heard it had been a long time since anyone fell victim to a spring, the guardians of Jusenkyo did a good job preventing the few visitors from getting cursed.

"Does that explain things enough for you Ucchan?" Inwardly Ranma sighed; he'd have to be careful around Mousse. The last thing he wanted was his curse being found out.

"So the Amazons consider everything outside of Jusendo Valley, the outside world?" That seemed like a strange distinction in her mind. Ukyo now found herself curious just why Mousse left his village.

"Yes, a habit I haven't quite broken myself of. Since you didn't answer earlier Ranma, how is Shampoo?" The former Amazon looked at the pigtailed trainer, hoping for good news.

"She's doing fine, she was the village champion, but I gotta say she isn't all that much of a martial artist." He had beaten her because she was sloppy; he knocked her out with her own mace. His father always said women were weak, and if not for the fact he was a part time female he'd be inclined to agree.

"The Amazons take pride in the fact that they are the strongest in the world, a fact that hasn't truly been proven for several generations. Although visitors to our hidden village are rare, they have been several cases of Amazon females taking the male visitors as their husbands." It was the opinion of the village that Pokemon made the people of the outside world weaker. His own training with Mumu-chan and his Spinda had toughened his mind, his Linoone toughened his body and his Feebas…well he learned nothing from it. Still, his Pokemon made him stronger not weaker, he had met several other martial artists and they too were stronger because of their Pokemon.

"Why did the women marry the male outsiders?" The more questions answered the more new questions Ukyo had. Mousse's village was strange.

"Amazon Law, if a woman loses to a male outsider she must take him as her husband, however if a woman loses to a female outsider she must give her the kiss of death and hunt her down to the end of the world. These laws have gone unchanged for centuries despite my villages continuing weakening. Several strong warriors have lost their lives hunting down those that beat them, and others were force to marry men they did not love. In my village that sort of thing is expected, but I couldn't stand it, not after my sister was forced to marry an outsider she lost to." Mousse adjusted his glasses with his free hand. "That's another reason I left, however because I left for that reason, I am not welcomed back ever again, a male having problems with the law is unacceptable."

"Yeah, the women rule the village, its cause my Pop insulted them I had to…" Ranma stopped himself. Either his aunt would assume he's Shampoo's husband or glasses-boy would figure out about his curse. Neither was something he wanted happening. Shampoo didn't really seem like wife material, cute or not.

"What happened?" Insulting the women of the village normally had a steep price; the former Amazon wondered what Ranma had to do. Since he was here though, it meant he didn't fight the village champion.

"I'd rather not talk about it." With that Ranma planned on keeping quiet for a bit.

-v-v-v-v-

Ukyo sighed; their trek up to this point had been pretty quiet since Ranma didn't want to talk about what happened in Mousse's village. As she sat their polishing her water stone, the boys were setting up a couple of tents the Amazon had with him. It was odd, his bag was about the same size as her nephew's but it seemed to hold a whole lot more.

"Pika"

"I don't care if Mumu-chan says there's nothing wrong with her; I don't want to see her." The pigtailed trainer was getting annoyed at his partner. Jean Luc kept trying to get him to accept Shampoo, the Moewth, and there was no way he would.

"You can understand him?" The robed boy found his new friend rather interesting. First the Snorlax that could both understand and write English, and now the boy himself could understand his Pikachu, although it seemed he didn't understand Mumu-chan, it was almost as if his Pikachu had to translate for him.

"Yeah, it seems the more I talk with him the more I understand him, my Pop could understand Genma's yawns and growls. He wasn't a fan of Pokemon, but I remember once when I was little he told me Saotome's formed an unbreakable bond with their first Pokemon. He wanted to find the most powerful Pokemon to be my partner, but over time I guess he gave up and he started telling me Pokemon were useless." He had completely forgotten about that fact until just now. He thought he gained his ability to understand Jean Luc from his mother, but the Snorlax's signs reminded him his father had the same talent and once explained it's origin. How did his mother understand her Mr. Mime then? She wasn't a Saotome.

"Pika Pika?" Jean Luc watched as his trainer finished the tent with Mumu-chan's trainer.

"He said Genma was the exception only because Genma was like his brother, and knew all his secrets." Ranma looked over at the Snorlax, after eating half of his traveling food the giant Pokemon went to sleep.

"As interesting as that is, it could get annoying, you answering him without explaining what he's saying." Mousse assumed he asked why Ranma's father kept the Snorlax, but again that was only an assumption. "Ukyo, we're done with the tents."

"What's that you have?" The youngest Saotome looked over to his aunt polishing a stone.

"This is a Water Stone; it's an evolution stone that helps evolving certain Pokemon. I got it for my Staryu, but I want to wait to use it. If I use it too soon my Staryu won't learn some of its more powerful moves.

"That's pretty smart of you, most people rush to evolve their Pokemon, but if you take your time it can become much stronger." Mousse joined Ukyo by the fire, and Ranma then sat next to him. "Ranma, a thunder stone can evolve your Pikachu into a Raichu, however every day we are learning more and more about Pokemon, so it's very possible there's another way to evolve your Pikachu as well."

"I see. Hey, Pikachu you interested in evolving anytime soon?"

"Pikachu!"

"Okay, I'll do my best to keep a Thunder Stone away from you then." Jean Luc answered his question with a violent no. It seemed like his partner wanted to stay the way he was, he could understand that with his own transformation. "Hey can I see that Water Stone? I've always been curious how a little rock could cause a Pokemon to evolve."

"Sure" Ukyo handed the water stone to her nephew; she noticed as it passed into his hands it started to glow faintly.

"That is odd… an evolution stone normally doesn't glow in the hands of a human." The former Amazon watched as the glow enveloped Ranma. What in the world was happening?

"Augh!"

"Ranchan!" Ukyo panicked, after the glow swallowed her nephew he screamed in pain. Underneath the glow she could see his body changing becoming smaller and… more feminine? What in the world was going on? When the transformation was complete, Ranma fell to the ground, now a red-haired girl.

Mousse quickly checked the transformed trainer. How had this happen? "He…she's okay, but I'm guessing she fainted from the pain. I have never witnessed anything like this before, but…"

Jean Luc watched as Ukyo and Mousse moved Ranma into the larger tent. How had the evolution stone transformed his trainer, was it wet?

-v-v-v-v-

Ranma woke up in a tent. His body still hurt, what had that Water Stone done to him? Ranma slowly got up and left the tent. Looking up he could see the stars were now out. From their position, he'd only been out for an hour. Then he saw Ukyo and Mousse. He had no idea what to tell them.

"Ranma you're awake. You had a Jusenkyo curse didn't you?" The former Amazon frowned. What they had discovered while the redhead was unconscious would not sit well with her.

"What do you mean had?"

"Ranchan, we poured hot water on you. Nothing happened." Ukyo frowned. As he or she was, her niece looked a lot like her older sister, although Ranma had her mother's red hair. Still the pigtailed girl had spent most of her life as a guy, so the youngest of the four Cerulean sisters understood she wouldn't be very happy being stuck the way she was.

"Nothing happened…? I can't turn back into a guy…?" His… no her, she wasn't a guy anymore. Her father had promised her mother that she'd be a man among men. Now she couldn't even be a pathetic excuse for a man like her father. She fell to her knees. "My mother is going to kill me."

"Ranchan my sister would never do that. She'll accept you however you are." Ukyo worried about the thoughts going through the redheads mind. Ranma wouldn't do anything drastic would she?"

"There is also the possibility another evolution stone can change you back, or at least restore your curse." Mousses expression matched Ukyo's. If he was home something like this would be considered an honor, but he was sure Ranma did not think that way. The curse was probably bad enough as it was, but now to be locked that way…Ranma would probably rather choose death.

It wasn't proper for a man to cry that's what her father always taught her, but thanks to her father she wasn't a man anymore. Ranma couldn't stop them from flowing. Her life was over.

-v-

Lio's Corner:

-Yeah, I know it's been quite a while since I updated this story. I kinda of lost my direction for it, and unlike "Out There" I didn't put much effort into finding it.

-Silverscale: If Akane show's up, cause right now I'm not sure how she'll fit into things, it's not likely she'll end up with Ranma. In fact...I think the one who has the best chances with Ranma in this story is Kodachi, however, she's pretty much going to be OOC, and won't show up for quite some time anyway.

-Sierra-Falls: Sorry for making you wait so long, and I hope that this chapter hasn't disappointed you.

-Shakeval: Ranma's pokemon will get training at the gyms, Ranma himself will get training from outside of the gyms.

-Hiraishin and I have gone our separate ways, but he still sends me stuff vocationally, since this Omake was time sensitive, I'm placing it here instead of at the end of the next chapter of "Laying it on the Line", cause who knows when I'll get inspiration for that story.

Update 22 Mar 09:

- Minor revisions, and a plot hole fixed, or I attempted to fix it.

Hiraishin's Surprise Omake:

Lio stared at Hiraishin as he looked to be building a crude approximation of a space ship.

"I'm almost afraid to ask...but what are you doing?"

"Hiraishin must build a space ship so Hiraishin can either a, find the right asteroid or b, find the Beyonder's world and get that 1st costume making machine!"

"Sigh...Okay I'll bite. Why?"

"Spider-man 3 will be here soon! and even better," Hiraishin looked almost reverent as he looked to the heaven's. "Venom." Lio face palmed.

"So you want a symbionat suit right? God this is worse than when Ghost Rider came out and you set your head on fire." Hiraishin struck a heroic pose.

"THE PATH TO FANDOM IS FRAUGHT WITH PERIL! I mean just look at the fangirls. It can get quite bloody." Lio contemplated for a moment.

"You do have a point there. Try not to kill yourself this time. I doubt Lucy will be pleased."

"Meh."


	4. Ch3: The First Loss

The characters of Ranma1/2 and Pokemon are not mine. Nor do any of the other known characters that may appear in this story.

2 B A Master by Lioconvoy

Chapter 3: The First Loss

Finally they were in Viridian city, Ranma was happy to return to civilization. Unfortunately it meant she was now going on a shopping trip with her aunt. Ukyo said there were some things she had to have and it wasn't that hard to figure out what she meant. Being a little honest with herself, she could use the support, her back was killing her. When she first saw what her cursed form looked like, she was amazed at how good it looked. Now having to live this way, she really would rather be flat chested. Bigger was not better. "Ucchan, the sooner we get this over with the better."

"Sure, Mousse we'll meet you at the Pokemon Center, unless you have a curse you've been good at keeping quiet about?" Unlike her nephew, Mousse didn't seem to keep any secrets, but again there were times during the last two days that he disappeared for short periods.

"Although Jusenkyo's power has weakened over time and its victims aren't the water magnets they used to be, if I had a curse you would have found out about it by now. I'll see the two of you later." The former Amazon walked away wondering what sort of torture the pigtailed trainer would be put through.

"Pika ka chu."

"I really don't see how."

"Ranchan, what did he say?" Both she and Mousse hated it when Ranma and Jean Luc conversed among themselves. In the last two days her nephew spent more time talking to her Pokemon then she did her or Mousse.

"He said, it could be worse. Considering I'm stuck a girl and I 'need' a bra, I can't see how it could get worse." Ranma sighed as Ukyo led the way to the store she already dreaded.

"Nodoka could be here and have you get some feminine clothes to go with your feminine body. My sister believes men should be manly and women should be womanly. Mom said she was shocked the first time she saw what she used to wear, and your mom is always telling me I should wear skirts. You know, now that I think about it, I have more in common with you than I do with any of my sisters." Ukyo sighed. Her sisters were right, she was a tomboy.

-v-v-v-v-

After nurse Joy finished with his Pokemon, Mousse sat down at a table in the Pokecenter. The last two days had been interesting. After spending some time alone meditating he came to a hard decision. He would teach Ranma some of the secret Amazon techniques. Shampoo would eventually come after the pigtailed trainer, and he would make sure the former boy was ready for her.

If Shampoo lost again she could not return to the village, she would be dead to them. He loved Shampoo with all his heart, but she was the Matriarch's great granddaughter. If she failed to return, then maybe that would send a message to the rest of the village. Maybe it would finally hammer in the fact that the Amazon's are no longer the world's strongest martial artists. His love for his sister out weighed his love for Shampoo.

Patting Mumu-chan on the head he thought about Ranma's problem. It was an evolution stone that locked him in his cursed state, could another unlock him. If the answer to that question was yes, it would be a while before they learned it. The problem was evolution stones were rare and rather expensive, when and if they found one, could they afford it.

He could always sell his Feebas, as useless as it was, it was still a rare Pokemon and the only one of his Pokemon he didn't really have a strong bond with. He took care of it as best he could, but leveling it up wasn't easy and it sort of annoyed him.

"Very well fair maiden, if you beat me I shall allow you to date with me. But let us take this outside first, it's inappropriate to fight inside this place of healing."

Turning around the former Amazon saw a taller boy dressed in kendo garb and carrying a bokken hitting on an attractive blonde girl.

"Who ever said I wanted to date with you?"

"Mina lets just go outside and you can kick his butt."

"Rei, if I lose to this idiot you're dating him."

"Do not worry there is enough of the Blue Thunder for both of you beautiful flowers.

So the blondes name was Mina, and her ravened haired friend was named Rei. Mousse followed the two girls and the Blue Dunder outside. He always loved seeing jerks like the sword boy get shown up for underestimating his opponent. After they stepped outside the former Amazon adjusted his glasses.

"You there, blind boy, will you be the referee, as this is an unofficial battle you don't need to be certified."

"Sure, if you want." Out of all the onlookers gathered around the Blue Dunder chose him to referee, well he could be fair. Mousse watched as the blonde grabbed a single Pokeball.

"I choose you Steelix!"

"An interesting choice. Very well I choose Lavitar."

After the Blue Dunder released his Pokemon, Mousse raised his hand and let the battle begin. It seemed as if the sword boy was going to let the blonde win, using a first stage Pokemon against a second stage one.

"Steelix, Sandstorm!"

The steel snake spit a wave of sand at the smaller Pokemon, but the Lavitar held its ground, it even seemed unphased. Mousse frowned. It wasn't the Blue Dunder that underestimated the girls, it was the girls and himself that had underestimated him.

"Earthquake."

The robed boy could barely hear the command whispered by the sword boy, but it was obvious by what happened next. The small Pokemon jumped up and landed hard on the ground sending a miniature earthquake at the steel Pokemon. Ground type attacks are affective against steel type Pokemon to begin with, but to know that move…its level had to be fairly high. The outcome was very bad for the blonde. "Steelix is unable to battle. The winner is the Blue Thunder."

"Fear not my fair lady for you have still shown yourself worthy to be in the presence of my company."

The former Amazon couldn't help but feel sorry for the two girls.

-v-v-v-v-

As they left the department store Ukyo smiled, in contrast he nephew frowned. "Oh come on it's not like I had you buy any skirts. Just some pants that fit you better, those odd shirts you have seemed to fit you fine in either form."

"Yeah, but in addition to the underwear I'm wiped out. Genma's going to be mad if I can't feed him, and I doubt the Pokemon Center would be willing to feed a Snorlax." As Ranma sighed she thought about how convenient Pokemon Centers were. They gave free check ups for Pokemon, free overnight lodging and even free meals, all for Pokemon Trainers. Unfortunately because neither she nor her father were registered Pokemon Trainers they couldn't use the Pokemon Centers during their training journey.

"I could make you pay me back for the Water Stone you used, then you'd really be in trouble money wise. Besides, shouldn't Genma be asleep for a little while." The youngest Cerulean sister accepted that some of Ranma's predicament was her fault. Even if she knew about the curse she still would have let him see the evolution stone, and the same thing would have happened. There was just no way either of them could have known what a Water Stone would do to someone with a Jusenkyo curse.

"Genma's not your normal Snorlax; He'll be awake by tomorrow. At most he'll fall asleep for three or four days at a time." A normal Snorlax could be asleep for months at a time, hers though, she was lucky if it slept for a week. Hopefully she could earn some cash taking on the local gym.

"Ukyo, Ranma!" Mousse saw the two girls as they neared the Pokemon Center and joined them. "How did the shopping go?"

"I learned a lot of things I never wanted to know." The redhead frowned. She hoped beyond hope that her situation wasn't permanent. If she could at least become half a man as she was before she could dump all the girly knowledge gained on the shopping trip. "I'm going to get Jean Luc and Genma checked out."

As Ranma left their small group Ukyo frowned. Once in the Pokemon Center and out of hearing range she decided to speak her mind with the Amazon. "She had the nightmare again last night."

"Well the transformation did only happen only three days ago. You can't expect her to get over the change immediately. I'm somewhat surprised she's doing as well as she is." Mousse adjusted his glasses. Ranma had a strong spirit, one worthy of techniques he wanted to pass on to her.

"But she thinks my sister is going to kill her."

"She explained that, her father made a promise that she be a man among men. Considering she is no longer a man, her subconscious mind is assuming the worst possible outcome of the broken promise." Mousse wasn't an expert in matters of the mind, but he did do a lot of research into the subject. Mainly to try and convince the people of his village it was time to change their ways.

"It still worries me." Maybe she could calm her own fears by calling home and talking to her sister.

-v-v-v-v-

Nodoka smiled another perfect victory. She was a little rusty, but she still held the qualifications to be a Gym Leader. She felt sorry for the applicants that ended up against her, but if they couldn't beat her they wouldn't go very far in the Indigo League.

Then she heard the video phone ringing. Who would be calling the family line? Walking over and answering it, she was surprised to see her littlest sister. "Ukyo, mother said you were going to visit me, are you calling from Professor Okido's?"

"No I'm at the Viridian City Pokemon Center, I ran into Ranma."

A frowned appeared on her little sisters face, the oldest of the Cerulean sisters started to get worried "Is Ranma okay?"

"She's physically okay, but I kind of cured her of her curse and she's been having nightmares."

"She, cured?" Now she was no genius, but Nodoka, believed Ukyo was telling her that Ranma was stuck in his cursed form. Ranma was having nightmares…oh no. "How much longer will you be in Viridian city?"

"Not long, we plan on leaving after Ranma challenges the Gym. We're heading to Pewter City next."

"I'll see you there then." After hanging up the phone Nodoka headed to her room. She had threatened Ranma with the promise his father made, he or rather she, must be thinking the worst. The mother of one, needed to straighten things out with her only child. Ranma needed to know she would accept her however she was.

-v-v-v-v-

"Ranma I really don't think you're ready to take on a gym yet." After leaving Ukyo, at the Pokemon Center, Mousse and the pigtailed trainer made their way to the Viridian City gym. The robed boy was trying and failing to convince Ranma not to challenge the gym leader.

"I have to start somewhere, and I don't see why it can't be here. Besides, I overheard some people saying the gym leader lets girls win." It wasn't the best way to get his first gym badge, but it was a start.

"Ahh, if it isn't the blind referee. Was not my victory spectacular?"

"A friend of yours Mousse?" Ranma looked at the older boy addressing the Amazon. He dressed like he was prepared for a Kendo duel, minus the padding.

"He's called the Blue Thunder." And he wasn't a friend. Mousse had a bad feeling about the Dunder's presence.

"I am Tatewaki Kuno the leader of this humble gym. To many I am also known as the Blue Thunder, the rising young star of the Pokemon world." Kuno took the redheads hand and kissed it gently. When he got upright again his eyes deceived him and he thought he saw a look of disgust on the young girls face. Surely that was impossible.

Rising young star…when the world of Pokemon was concerned someone his age was already considered a geezer. Young stars were five or six year olds without licenses. Mousse shook his head, with what he saw from the Blue Dunder earlier, Ranma didn't stand a chance.

"Do you mind if I kick your butt and get this over with?" At least the idiot only kissed her hand. If he tried anywhere else… well he'd be a dead man. Jean Luc sat on her shoulder just as ready to punish the fool.

"My pigtailed goddess how many badges do you have?" The anger appearing on the redhead's face did not suit her at all. Sighing Kuno wondered if it was that time of the month for her.

"Pigtailed goddess? I have a name, it's Ranma Saotome. I don't have any badges, so what?" This guy was really starting to bug her.

"Ranma? That is hardly a proper name for a beauty such as yourself." The Blue Thunder frowned. He didn't like picking on weak trainers. "I'm sure you've heard I let females win in this gym. I'm afraid nothing could be further from the truth. Every trainer to beat me has earned their victory after facing many other challenges."

"I saw him battle earlier, and his opponent was female and he did beat her. Easily I might add." The former Amazon frowned. "Ranma the badge this gym rewards is called the Earth Badge for a reason. Kuno uses Ground Type Pokemon; Jean Luc wouldn't stand a chance against him."

"Pika pika chu."

"But…we." When she got stuck, she and Jean Luc made a promise. That promise was what kept her from being depressed about her current state, but now her partner was afraid?

"Does she understand her Pokemon?" Truly this girl was amazing. Kuno had a Trapinch that had been acting up lately; maybe he could get her to find out what was wrong with it.

"Jean Luc is the only Pokemon she understands, it was rather interesting at first but it gets annoying real quick when you only get to hear one side of the conversation." Ukyo would normally get Ranma to repeat what her partner has said before allowing her to reply, but he normally tried to ignore them. The robed boy had a feeling that the Pikachu had come to it's senses.

"Pikachu."

"It's okay; I won't force you to fight a battle you're not ready for. Let's go Mousse. Ukyo's probably still at the Pokemon Center." Ranma couldn't hide her disappointment, but if Jean Luc didn't think he could win she'd only be sending him out to get hurt. She'd love to send Genma out, but she couldn't rely solely on him to see her through.

"Pigtailed goddess it shows just as much strength to know when not to battle as it does to win one. There is no shame in the path you now choose. When you have faced other gyms and have earned their badges, then return here and I shall allow you to challenge me for my badge and the right to date with me." As a gym leader, it was his duty to steer Pokemon Trainers upon the right path. The pigtailed goddess was not yet ready for his glory.

"Whatever." Ranma left the gym entrance with Mousse in tow. As soon as she got back on the road, she and Jean Luc would do some intense training. Hopefully they would be ready by the time they reached the next town. For now, she counted this as her first loss.

-v-v-v-v-

After Ranma and Mousse rejoined her, the three of them left the Viridian city and headed to their next destination, Pewter City. Ukyo could see her nephew was depressed but she didn't really know what to say to her. "You guys haven't said what happened at the gym yet."

"The gym leader was pretty full of himself, but he advised Ranma against challenging him. Honestly Ranma, you couldn't beat him, not with Jean Luc and Genma. Jean Luc has a type disadvantage, and Genma, do you really think you could control him. He was your father's Pokemon, so I don't think he'll take orders all that easily from you." Mousse worried about the pigtailed trainer. Since they left the gym she hadn't said a word. Not even when Ukyo rejoined them.

She didn't need to be reminded how she wasn't ready. She knew full well she wasn't ready and it annoyed her to no end. Jean Luc admitted Kuno scared him and that he didn't think he could win for her, he apologized and she accepted it, but it left her wondering if her partner would always back down like that. What good was their promise if he didn't plan to uphold his end?

-- After being locked --

Ranma got herself away from Ukyo and Mousse. She was stuck this way. She was going to be a girl for the rest of her life. How could this have happened? Why did it happen? Was the life she led so wrong that the gods had to punish her?

Now what was she going to do. Her mother wanted her to become a Pokemon Trainer to prove she was a man among men, but now she wasn't a man at all. Ukyo said that wouldn't matter, and maybe it wouldn't, but why did her mother have her take this path if it didn't?

"Pika?" (Ranma?)

"Jean Luc, what do you think? What should I do?" Her partner followed her. Looking around she made sure he was the only one that did.

"Pika ka pi pika chu." (I want to beat that Charmeleon.)

Of course her partner had no idea what she was going through, he was just a Pokemon after all. Maybe she couldn't be a man among men, did it stop her from becoming a great Pokemon Trainer? She did have fun training with Jean Luc, it made her stronger, and strength was all she had left of her former life. "Okay Jean Luc, we're going to get stronger. And when we do We're going to show Ryoga that you can beat his Charmeleon without Genma's help."

"PIKA!" (Yes!)

-- The Present --

What strength was there in not even trying? Sure running away was a practice of the Saotome School of Anything Goes Martial Arts, but it was a tactic she didn't like using. She'd rather think on her feet than retreat. There was only one thing she ever retreated from …to get Jean Luc stronger … she would have to do that.

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Ukyo set up the tents with Mousse, she really would rather be staying at the Pokemon center for the night, but Ranma was so insistent to get back on the road. Where was her nephew? "Mousse where did Ranma go?"

"She asked for Shampoo and went training with Jean Luc."

"He's borrowing Shampoo! Isn't she afraid of feline Pokemon?" Something was not right, Ukyo was now very worried.

"It's just one cat. Maybe she's trying to overcome her fear with Jean Luc's help." Admittingly the former Amazon didn't know much about the Neko-ken, but surely one cat wouldn't cause Ranma to go into the Neko state. For now he would trust she knew what she was doing.

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Even in it's pokeball Ranma was worried about the Meowth she was carrying. Still in her mind this was the best way to train Jean Luc. Releasing Shampoo she gathered her strength and stared it down. "I want you to run about fifty meters away and then attack me."

Shampoo just returned her gaze. "Jean Luc, can you explain it to her?"

"Pika. Pika pika ka chu pika chu." (Okay. Ranma want you to run away then attack her.)

"Meowth?"

"Chu pika ka." (She wants to know why?)

"Cause something bad will happen if she gets too close to me. Your job is to make sure she doesn't, can you do that?" Mousse had said he just got Shampoo and her level was low, so hopefully she would be an even match for Jean Luc. Ranma hoped that giving her partner a reason to get stronger would help him over come his fear.

"Pika Pika?" (Something bad?)

"Yes, something really bad, can you at least get her to get away for now." Even if she had a reason for doing what she was doing. She didn't like it, it was just one Meowth, she could handle it. Couldn't she? The fear was creeping up on her, but she stood her ground, she couldn't run away, it would set a bad example for Jean Luc.

Pika. Chu ka pi pika chu. (Okay. She says its training.) Jean Luc looked at his master one more time while Shampoo ran away. Could he keep the 'something' bad from happening? He would do his best.

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Ukyo worried about Ranma. It had been hours since she left and it was starting to get late. Every time she asked the Amazon boy if they should go look for her nephew he said that interrupting Ranma would be a mistake. What was Ranma doing?

"Pika!"

"Jean Luc! Where is Ranma?" Ukyo got up from around the campfire where she was sitting. Here was Ranma's Pokemon where was she?

"Where's Shampoo?" Mousse did not like Ranma's partner returning on it's own. If Ranma when into that state, Shampoo could be seriously hurt. Maybe he should have observed Ranma's training after all.

"Pika Pika chu!"

The youngest of the Cerulean sisters watched as Ranma's Pikachu started running off. She couldn't understand what it said, but more than likely it wanted her and Mousse to follow it. So that's just what they did.

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Nodoka finished packing her bag. She didn't know how long it would take Ranma and Ukyo to get to Pewter city, but she would wait there until they did. Pulling out a Pokeball she released her Pidgeot.

"That wasn't a very long visit." Kimiko frowned. It wasn't often her big sister was home and now she was leaving already? When Nodoka arrived she said this would be a longer visit.

"I'm sorry. Something happened to my son. I need to see him right away." The oldest of the four sister's expression matched that of the second youngest. She would love to spend more time with her family now that she didn't have to worry if her husband and son would ever return to her, but now that she had Ranma back. She couldn't lose him again.

"I see, when you return will you be bringing him with you?"

"No, I'm hoping he'll continue his Pokemon Journey. But…I don't know what will happen. I'll explain when I return." With that Nodoka got on her large Pokemon and flew off to Pewter City.

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"Ranma!" After following her nephew's Pokemon for thirty minutes Ukyo and Mousse found both Ranma and Shampoo. Both were laying unconscious upon the ground. The redhead didn't look hurt at all.

"She just fainted. He's okay. Shampoo on the other hand, Jean Luc you did a number on her. I see you didn't come out unscratched either. I guess Ranma couldn't keep her fear subdued for the entirety of the battle. It's too bad I can't understand her Pikachu, I'd love to know how long she lasted." Mousse put Shampoo back in her Pokeball, it would keep her in stasis till could get a better look at her.

"That idiot, why did she do this to herself."

"Who knows? Help get her on my back and I'll carry her back to camp." The former Amazon boy smiled. Ranma had a great strength; she believed her partner was afraid so she had it protect her from her own fear. An interesting strategy, Ranma was worthy of what he had to teach.

-v-

Lio's Corner:

-Although Ranma is stuck a girl Ukyo had decided to still think of her as her nephew.

-No additional crossover/fusion here, I was just lazy so I used Mina and Rei as extra's. I'll probably take most of the extra's from other anime/manga.

-Euphemism: Sorry about the title, but I'll be keeping it as is. If for no other reason than when I started writing this story three years ago I thought it was a good title.

When the Tendo's show up Ranma will be female and will know nothing of his father's promise, so they'll just be a one time appearance. This won't be a Ranma x Akane story.

-tatewaki2000: Well I don't think I'll be updating this too often, but this chapter was fresh on my mind so here it is.

-borg rabbit: Ranma won't be gaining any abilities from the stone. I had thought about it, but in the end it seemed too silly.

Update 22 Mar 09:

-Minor corrections


	5. Ch4: Genma's Plan

The characters of Ranma ½ and Pokemon are not mine. Nor do any of the other known characters that may appear in this story.

2 B a Master by Lioconvoy

Chapter 4: Genma's Plan

Pre-chapter note: The Snorlax is not Genma's brother. Genma grew up with him and sees him as a brother.

Genma sat smug upon a tree top. How foolish were those officers. Did they truly think they could keep him locked up, him, the Master's heir. True it took him a little longer to escape this time, but he still escaped. Now to find his pathetic excuse for an heir and deliver him to Soun's son, he had a promise to fulfill.

When Ranma was born he had such high hopes for the boy, but heading his master's advice he made a backup plan as well. It was so easy convincing Chisato and Soun that Nodoka was misleading about the child's gender rather than himself. Nodoka was easy to deceive as well, a Seppuku pledge, who in this day and age practiced that archaic ritual? It was merely an excuse to take the boy from her, the boy who would be the next heir to the Master's great art.

Or that was what he had hoped of Ranma, unfortunately his brother raised the boy more than he did and Ranma became too weak to receive the Master's legacy. How did the Snorlax remain so weak? He passed on everything the Master taught him, he even taught him his two original arts, and still his brother remained weak. His brother was not willing to do what was needed for the sake of the art. Where was his brother now, was he with Ranma, being a loyal Pokemon?

When he had retrieved his items from the police storage his Water Stone was missing. Without a Water Stone he'd be unable to lock Ranma's curse. Then again, maybe its absence was a good thing. He did not intend to get cursed himself, but he did and if he came in contact with a Water Stone, well he could kiss his humanity goodbye.

Well he had little to worry about. Nodoka's hero worship of her father would lead her to send Ranma on a Pokemon Journey. The possibilities of Ranma coming in contact with a Water Stone while traveling were high. Still he had no idea what affect if any other evolution stones might have on the boy. It was imperative he find Ranma and take her to meet her fiancé.

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The pigtailed trainer woke up on her sleeping bag inside of the tent she and Ukyo shared. How long had she been out? Raising her wrist she looked at her Poketch, it was almost midnight. Using the watch's light to look around the tent she saw both her aunt and her partner sleeping. Jean Luc didn't look too hurt.

She wasn't too tired so she got up and exited the tent. To her surprise Mousse was still up sitting in front of their campfire stroking Shampoo. The feline didn't look all that great; Ranma decided to challenge her fear again and walked over to the fire. "Can't sleep?"

"Oh Ranma, I'm sure I could if I tried, but there were some things on my mind. Shampoo gave you the kiss of death, didn't she?" They hadn't talked about the results of the human Genma insulting the Amazons. Ranma was likely forced to battle the village champion, and Mousse couldn't think of anyone but Shampoo capturing that title.

"Yeah." As smart as Mousse was he probably knew why she didn't want to talk about it before. The pigtailed trainer frowned. She had no intention of killing the purple haired girl should she show up, but she wouldn't let herself be killed either. Looking at the hurt Meowth, she wondered why Mousse didn't use a potion on it. "Is that why you've stuck around, you want to see her again?"

"She will come after you. She will hunt you down to the end of the earth. Still, that is not why I'm here, I find you interesting. It's obvious you deserved your victory over Shampoo; I don't have to see you fight to know you're a strong martial artist. I wish to see how you'll apply your art to being a Pokemon trainer." Mousse looked from his Shampoo to the girl he was talking too; it was odd, the cursed boy didn't seem afraid. "You didn't conquer your fear, did you?"

"No, it's just she doesn't seem too scary right now, she looks pretty bad." It was hard to be afraid of something she pitied. "I have a super potion if you need it."

"Thank you. I'm not a licensed Pokemon trainer, so I can't challenge gyms to make money. I'm lucky many of the Nurse Joys have allowed me to use the Pokemon Centers. I'm normally able to make do with what I have, but I generally don't let my Pokemon get so hurt." Mumu-chan didn't even have a Pokeball of his own, and his other Pokemon used balls he had found.

"Um, don't you think you should have told me that before you let me borrow Shampoo." Ranma frowned as she headed back into the tent to get the Super Potion. After retrieving it she came back out and handed the spray to Mousse.

"I didn't think she'd get this hurt. I underestimated her resolve, and Jean Luc's." The young Meowth had given her all, probably not even understanding what she was doing. After spraying the Super Potion, Shampoo instantly looked better and she started purring happily. "I think she likes you."

Mousse looked back at where Ranma had been. Since Shampoo was feeling better, her fear must have returned. Poor girl, the Neko-ken was a terrible burden.

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At daybreak the group ate breakfast then continued on their three day trip through the woods. Ukyo remembered her first time through this forest four years ago. It was anything but fun, once the Viridian Forest was teeming with Bug type Pokemon, then for a reason no one knew the insects left the forest and after ten years of being empty the forest was populated by ghost type Pokemon. There was a way around the forest, but it took longer and Ranma was impatient to get to the next city. "So Ranma, do you plan on adding a ghost Pokemon to your party?"

"I don't know. Ghost Pokemon have their uses, but at the same time I don't know if I really need one. What ghosts are in this forest?" The pigtailed trainer had seen all sorts of Pokemon traveling with her father and she wondered just which six she'd make her partners. Well which four, Jean Luc and Genma took two positions already.

"Gastly, Haunter, Misdreavus, Shuppet and Duskull are all found here. Before the ghost Pokemon moved into this forest only Haunter and Gastly were native to Kanto. Viridian Forest is the topic of a lot of debates among Pokemon researchers; why did the bugs leave, why did the ghosts arrive, and how did a forest perfect for life remain empty for ten years." Mousse had been heading here before he met the two girls. It was a very curious place, and if he had to make a life for himself in the outside world then he would explore its mysteries.

"When I was here last I saw a Shedinja, it scared the heck out of me." Her mother had a problem with bugs, but she had a thing about ghosts. Shedinja was the worst of both worlds as both a bug and ghost type Pokemon.

"It's too bad you didn't catch it. Shedinja are extremely rare, although they're also quite fragile." Thinking about his Feebas, it was probably better left in the wild. The rarer Pokemon were more difficult to take care of. Then again Ukyo was a water type trainer; she might be a worthy owner for his fish Pokemon. He had just been thinking of selling it yesterday, but he'd feel better knowing it had a good home rather than a greedy one.

"I'm sorry, I was little too busy running for my life." Ukyo frowned she really hated this forest. Thankfully most of the ghosts left high level trainers alone. That did mean Ranma was less likely to encounter any unless she separated herself from her and Mousse.

"Did you guys hear that?" It was faint, but Ranma could have sworn she heard a scream. Extending her senses she couldn't feel anyone but their group. Ghost Pokemon normally couldn't elude her senses so it had to be something to do with the forest.

"HELP ME!"

"I heard that." Mousse and Ukyo followed Ranma as they headed towards the cry for help. The former Amazon hoped they would get to the girl belonging to the voice on time.

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After ten minutes of running their group reached a young girl cornered by a Banette and several Shuppets. The poor girl was curled up in a ball crying as the ghost Pokemon flew around her. "Jean Luc, Thunder Shock!"

"Mumu-chan, Confusion!" While he and Ranma got the attention of the ghost Pokemon, Ukyo went for the girl. The smaller Pokemon fled, but the Banette seemed angry and threw a shadow ball at Jean Luc. Mousse watched the electric mouse writhe in pain.

"Jean Luc!" Ranma ran to, and picked up her poor partner. To her surprise the ghost doll wasn't done with Jean Luc and sent another shadow ball her way. Jean Luc wouldn't be able to take another one so she shielded him and took the attack herself. The pain was great but not unbearable.

"Mumu-chan, Physic" Now it was the Banette's turn to get hurt. The second stage Pokemon took the full force of the attack and staggered before fleeing. Going over to Ranma he saw her getting up on her own. Then he looked over at the ponytailed girl. Or the older ponytailed girl as the one they rescued had her brown hair in a ponytail as well. "Is she okay Ukyo."

"She's pretty shaken up, but she's okay." The girl couldn't be older than twelve. She was the right age to begin her Pokemon Journey, but she didn't seem to have any Pokemon of her own. What was she doing in such a dangerous place?

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Ukyo was alone with the younger girl while Ranma and Mousse hunted down the Banette. Her nephew and Mousse were afraid such a powerful Pokemon could cause trouble for other trainers. Since they would be stopped for a bit she started to get lunch ready. The younger girl helped her and seemed well versed in preparing food. "You're pretty good at this."

"I spend a lot of time in the kitchen with my mom. She's the best cook in the whole city."

"Feeling a little better?" The youngest Cerulean sister smiled. Those were the girl's first words since they rescued her.

"A little."

"I'm Ukyo, I'm a Gym leader at Cerulean City." Now that she got the girl talking, maybe she could find out her name and why she was in the forest.

"I'm Kasumi Tendo. My family runs the Pewter City gym." Kasumi was tired of being frightened. Now she was ready to be mad. "My stupid brother was supposed to take me to Pallet town a week ago, but he's waiting on his stupid fiancée to show up. It's been three stupid weeks, three weeks, would it hurt for him to leave our mother in charge of the Gym and take me to Pallet town. If he took me I wouldn't have gotten attacked."

"He's waiting for his fiancée?" People still practiced arranged marriages. Ukyo felt sorry for the poor girl. Something told she shouldn't pity the boy though. When she had gone to Pewter City during her own Pokemon Journey the Gym had been closed, so she continued on to the next town. Nodoka was friends with the family though, after the meal she would send her Pelipper to Nodoka with a message letting her know they had Kasumi with them.

"Ranma Saotome. She's the daughter of my late father's friend. Apparently my father and hers wanted to merge martial art schools." Kasumi already disliked Ranma, she was supposed to have shown up weeks ago. "It's kind of pointless though, Akane doesn't even practice Father's school of martial arts; he's just a gym leader."

Ukyo didn't know what to say, this was definitely something she'd add to the letter. However given that her oldest sister was friends with the family, why did they think Ranma was a girl? Wait Kasumi said it was because her father was friends with Ranma's, had the human Genma told them Ranma was a girl, but why would they believe the fat fool over her sister? "Why do you think Ranma is a girl? It doesn't sound like a girl name."

"Ukyo doesn't really sound like a girl's name either." Kasumi giggled. Ranma really didn't sound like a good name for a girl. Her family had been waiting for Ranma and Akane to get together forever, since Akane was a boy, Ranma had to be a girl. "I really don't think my mother would have allowed my father to engage Akane to a guy."

It was definitely her brother-in-law who was responsible for the deception. Did that mean…, no it couldn't, Ranma was cursed on purpose? How, why…? One thing was certain; until she understood things better she'd be calling her nephew by a name other than Ranma.

"Is lunch ready?" Ranma returned annoyed. She caught a Misdreavus when it got in the way of the Pokeball she threw at the Banette. The ghost doll Pokemon was still out there somewhere. If only she could sense it, with the exception of things in the immediate area she couldn't sense anything in the forest.

"Makoto, Mousse, this is Kasumi." She wasn't sure why that name popped into her head, but her nephew kind of looked like she could be a Makoto. It would have to do while Kasumi was with them. For safe measure she should probably tell the younger girl she and Ranma were cousins in case she noticed the family resemblance. "Mousse is a Pokemon researcher, and Makoto is my cousin. She's just starting her own Pokemon Journey."

Kasumi look at the pigtailed redhead. She had to have been at least four years older than she was. "Aren't you a little old to just be starting your Pokemon Journey?"

"Well my dad didn't want me being a Pokemon Trainer. He's out of the picture now so my mother wanted to go out on a Pokemon Journey even if it was late." It wasn't far from the truth. The younger girl didn't need to know she wasn't originally interested in being a Pokemon Trainer herself. She didn't even tell her aunt that. Still why did Ukyo introduce her as Makoto? Her aunt surely had her reasons, but she would probably have to wait to find them out.

'Stories later; eat now' Genma yawned, and then took a closer look at the addition to their group. Those clothes, she was a Tendo. No wonder Ukyo gave a new name to Ranma. He had hoped Ranma would be male when they reached Pewter City, but while he slept Ranma encountered a Water Stone and accomplished what her father intended to do anyway.

"Wow! He can write?" That was so cool. There were some smart Pokemon in the world, but this was her first time meeting one. Kasumi did wonder where the sign came from.

'EAT NOW, EXPLANATIONS LATER'

Ukyo smiled, they were all going to have to have smaller portions thanks to the giant Pokemon being awake, but his presence could be useful. Maybe she could get him to distract Kasumi later while she was preparing the message to her sister.

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Kasumi walked between Genma and Makoto. She didn't want to be heading back home, but Ukyo and Mousse insisted. Makoto was cool and thought that since she had made it this far she could make it to Pallet town on her own. "What's Okonomiyaki?"

"It's something me and Genma ate a lot of in Johto. It's kind of like a pancake pizza." When Kasumi asked about Genma's name, the large Pokemon made up a rather ridiculous story. Although, Ranma could picture her father doing what Genma accused him of.

"Kasumi, I told you my family runs the Cerulean City gym. Genma is my Uncle's name." The Pokemon Genma said he was named after a fat thief that stole her family's Okonomiyaki Cart. Ukyo couldn't help but wonder if her brother-in-law had done that to someone though. Well she wasn't lying to Kasumi; she did also have an uncle named Genma. He was married to her aunt Sakura.

"Genma's a common enough name I've met a few in my travels. I've also met a Ranma Saotome, and I can assure you he was a guy." The older ponytailed girl had gotten Ranma and Genma to distract the younger one while she explained the problem. Ranma's father had gotten her cursed on purpose? At first he thought the man was just stupid for trying to teach his son the Neko-ken. Now, he was beginning to think the human Genma was as bad as the legendary Happosai.

"Was he older? Um, was he older than me?" If her parents had got Ranma's gender wrong somehow, maybe she or Nabiki would have to fill Akane's role. She wouldn't mind being engaged to an older boy. The only boy interested in her now was Tofu, a year younger than her, and he was more than a little strange. He'd always dance around town with his Duskull named Betty if she'd even look at him.

"I think he's the same age as Ukyo and Makoto, why?"

"Younger men bore me." At first she found Tofu funny, but when ever she'd try to spend time with him, he'd talk to a tree instead of her. It was really annoying.

"I know what you mean. Because we mature faster than guys, only an older one would be as mature as we are." Ukyo nodded in agreement with Kasumi, with few exceptions her taste leaned towards older guys like Mousse. The guys her age in Cerulean or that she met while traveling were just... boring or strange. There was one guy who proposed to her, but he went around wearing girls clothes. It wasn't until after Tsubasa proposed that she found out he was a guy.

"Can we change the subject please?" The pigtailed trainer was uncomfortable with this subject. Even if she was stuck a girl for the rest of her life she had no interest in marrying a guy. A shiver went down her spine as she unfortunately pictured herself walking down an aisle with Kuno.

"You have a boyfriend already don't you?" Kasumi noticed older girl's who didn't want to talk about boys either were modest and had a boyfriend already, or had a one sided crush on a guy. As cool as Makoto was she had to have a boyfriend.

"What was his name Motoki?" That was the name of friend of his who worked at a karaoke parlor in Goldenrod City. Would it help their deception if the young Tendo thought 'Makoto' was in a relationship?

"Um, Mousse…" Ukyo wasn't sure what to say to the robed boy. Kasumi seemed very smart and mature. 'Makoto' being in a relationship and not talking about it wouldn't strengthen the deception that Makoto wasn't Ranma. If anything it might hurt it, she could assume Ranma didn't want to talk about it because they couldn't be together.

Ranma fell even deeper into depression. Why were they trying to convince Kasumi she was a really girl? Mousse seemed to go out of his way to mention Ranma Saotome was a guy. What was the reason she couldn't be Ranma and had to be Makoto? Why did Makoto have to have a boyfriend? "Can we please change the subject?"

The youngest Tendo's eyes widened in shock, from the pleading tone in Makoto's voice and the depressed look on her face, it had to be a one sided love. How could that be? Makoto was so graceful, beautiful, and talented. Fate could be so cruel.

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Chisato smiled proudly. Some trainers could take on two opponents at once, but her son could handle fifteen. Then she frowned, it was only supposed to be ten. Nabiki was overselling slots again. She'd have to have a talk with her middle child about that. As her son finished the last trainer and approached her, she wondered why she and her father had to hunt so hard for mates but Akane had them hunt him. "Have you seen Kasumi?"

"No I haven't actually." For the past three days his little sister hadn't bugged him to take her to Pallet town. Considering how much of a hurry she was to prove herself to their grandfather that was more than a little odd.

"She hasn't visited Natsumi in the last three days either." Her youngest had grown very close to the young Vulpix, and it to her. The absence was making Natsumi a little ill.

"She hasn't been home in the last three days either, not that either of you would notice." Nabiki frowned. She hoped her little sister didn't get too hurt, she knew Kasumi went through the forest alone. Her brother only cared about the affections of the Horde and their mother was always helping her grandfather. Neither paid much attention to her or Kasumi, maybe this would teach them a lesson.

"SHE HASN'T BEEN HOME!" Chisato panicked. Her daughter hadn't been home in the last three days. Kasumi wouldn't…no even if she was twelve, she didn't have a partner. "Akane, close the gym and gather the trainers."

"Yes." Akane looked over to Nabiki. His greedy sister knew Kasumi had gone into the forest. Why hadn't she said anything? By herself his youngest sister could be seriously hurt by the wild Pokemon who lived there.

"Hold on Chisato." Nodoka walked up to the Pewter City gym a little displeased in her friend. She was planning on seeing Chisato while she was in town, but after receiving Ukyo's letter and watching the events that just unfolded. She sighed; Chisato had changed since she knew her.

"Nodoka." The mother of three was surprised by her friend's appearance. Nodoka hadn't left Pallet town in years. "What brings you here?"

"I'm meeting my little sister and a cousin in town. Ukyo sent me a letter saying she's found Kasumi. Chisato, how did you not notice your daughter was missing until three days later?" She spent so much time worrying about her son and she knew he was safe with his father. Well he should have been safe with Genma. Now more then ever she questioned what she thought she knew about her husband.

"She was too busy helping Grandpa with his Pokemon breeding." Nabiki smiled. Her mother was going to get it. She could see a terrible fury in Ms. Nodoka's eyes.

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Ranma smiled as Kasumi helped her cook dinner. They didn't cover as much ground as they should have, but they would hopefully make up for it tomorrow. As she looked at the younger girl she was amazed how far she had made it without a Pokemon or being a martial artist. Why was she alone? "How come your family didn't give you a Pokemon? Ukyo's from a gym family as well and her sisters each gave her a Pokemon."

"My Mother and grandfather are breeders, but I have to earn one of the Pokemon they've raised. My brother is too busy fighting off the horde of girls interested in him to help me catch one. Nabiki, she hates all Pokemon." Kasumi frowned, she could never understand why her sister hated Pokemon, they were such amazing creatures.

"She hates all Pokemon?" She knew people who hated certain types of Pokemon, such as her own fear of feline Pokemon. Her father thought they were worthless. But, the younger girl's sister hated all Pokemon?

"I don't get it either, but all Nabiki cares about is money. Well I guess she cares about me too. She helped me get supplies for my trip through the forest. I kind of feel bad because I lost them all when I was running from the Banette." Her older sister did offer to go with her too, but she understood Nabiki would be out of place away from the city. She told her older sister that she could handle this alone and hugged her goodbye before leaving.

"The rest of your family didn't know you left?" The pigtailed trainer frowned. Ukyo said it took three days to go through the forest. If Kasumi came from the other side, to get this far, why didn't anyone come after her?

"No." They were all too busy with their lives to notice she was gone.

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The stars shown brightly as the fire around the campfire belonging to the four youngsters died down. Takeshi stood next to his Banette and smiled. When he noticed his granddaughter was missing, he had immediately taken off after her on his Steelix.

It didn't take him too long to find her, but instead of taking her home he had several of his Pokemon keep an eye on her. Kasumi never noticed she was being watched, each day after his daughter went home he would check on her himself.

Last night he noticed another group had entered the forest, after watching the redhead's actions he decided, Kasumi needed to meet her. It would probably be good for the both of them. Using a Pokemon his granddaughter wasn't familiar with he was able to steer her towards the group.

Now he needed to return. After picking up Kasumi's bag and recalling his Banette he hopped on his Steelix and headed back to the city.

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Nodoka woke up refreshed and a little worried. Maybe she went overboard lecturing Chisato and Akane. Surprisingly after all she said her old friend still insisted she stay at their family home rather than a hotel.

Chisato was a good friend, but why did she think Ranma was a girl? What had Genma said to Soun that convinced the both of them that Ranma was her daughter? After getting dressed in one of the Kimono's Genma had gotten for her she thought about going shopping.

Even knowing Genma's deeds, she had some faith in him. After finding out what he did to Ranma only a sliver remained. Now knowing almost immediately after her son was born, Genma had engaged him to the son of his friend, she hated him. She knew absolutely nothing about the man she married. She was deluded to think she had known him.

What was she going to do about this engagement? Ranma really was a girl now, and although they hadn't talked about it, Chisato seemed intent on going through with it. Ukyo's plan might work, but she didn't like deceiving her friend.

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The youngest Tendo rode on Genma's back. She was sort of surprised when he offered her the ride, but didn't mind accepting it. Makoto seemed distant today and walked a little ways behind the group. Kasumi couldn't help but wonder what happened after she had gone to sleep last night; it didn't seem to affect Mousse or Ukyo. "Will Makoto be okay?"

"I don't know." Ukyo wished she could explain what was wrong with Ranma. Kasumi really seemed to admire her nephew, but she was the reason the redhead was so gloomy. The information the little girl brought was devastating to the pigtailed trainer. It brought to light the fact that she was cursed on purpose. Worse, the Water Stone Genma gave her proved he planned to lock Ranma.

"Right now she's lost in a life that isn't her own. She needs to do something to make her feel like herself." Kasumi probably wouldn't get what he was saying, he wasn't sure if Ukyo did either, but Genma nodded in agreement. Unfortunately they couldn't make Ranma male, but maybe practicing the Art would make her feel better.

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Still behind to others Makoto was deep in thought. Makoto, that's who she was now, she couldn't be Ranma thanks to her old man.

Her pop always said girls were weak and stupid. It was the worst insult he could give her when she didn't get a technique perfect. She was constantly trying to prove she wasn't a girl to him. Now, now she knew even after all she accomplished, he still saw her as nothing more than a weak and stupid girl.

He had taken her to Jusenkyo to remove the falsehood from her life. To make her what she had been all along. He had a Water Stone ready to seal her in her true form. The only reason he hadn't made her complete was he had gotten cursed himself.

When she became stuck as a girl she thought living up to her mother's expectations despite her gender would prove she was still a man at heart. Now that she knew she didn't live up to her father's expectations….

What was the point? She was a failure as a martial artist and a failure as a Pokemon trainer. She wasn't fit to be Ranma Saotome. Akane deserved someone better than her.

-v-

Lio's Corner:

-This chapter took a bit to come together. I wasn't entirely sure what I was doing with it. Now even if it ends on a sour note, I'm happy with the chapter.

-I apologize for any Genma(h), Genma(p) confusion. When I named the Snorlax after his former master I didn't intend to have the human show up again. However after I decided he would be Happosai's heir, I felt no prison should be able to hold him.

-Tama Saga: Misty said "How engaging" in response to Pikachu's name. As for the Tendo's well here they are. I decided to make them very different than they are in Ranma cannon.

-tatewaki2000: Ranma is going to squirm, he's going to squirm a lot. After he gets over his current depression.

-Wonderbee31: When I put the Senshi in there I was just using their names, but after writing this chapter... well it my just be a subplot.

-5 years of fun: You have your answer.

-Reviewers, please feel free to suggest Pokemon for Ranma. Please also say why you feel that Pokemon should be with him.

Update 22 Mar 09

-Minor revision and corrections.


	6. Ch5: Who am I?

The characters of Ranma ½ and Pokemon are not mine. Nor do any of the other known characters that may appear in this story.

2 B a Master by Lioconvoy

Chapter 5: Who am I?

After the group stopped for lunch Mousse started making the meal, Kasumi helped him, and Ukyo made her way to her nephew. What could she do for her? Ranma had stayed by herself for the entire first leg of their hike. During that time she hadn't thought of anything that could help the redhead. "Ranma?"

"Makoto."

"Kasumi isn't in earshot." There was no need to be so cautious. She was fairly certain the younger girl couldn't hear them.

"If I was worthy of being Ranma, my pops wouldn't have cursed me." Makoto stroked Jean Luc, who was sitting in her lap. She had originally been in a hurry to get to Pewter city, just as she had been with Viridian, but it was that hurry that left her partner unprepared. Since she couldn't be a man among man, she'd at least be a Pokemon trainer worthy of her mother. Makoto Saotome, that's who she was now, it was who she would be for the rest of her life.

"Oh come on your father is an idiot, you're more than worthy of being Ranma." Ukyo sighed, how could her nephew think she wasn't worthy of her name.

"Am I? He cursed me, and he planned on doing what I accidentally did to myself. I'm a girl, what I'm going through right now is more than proof of that." The redhead tried not to think about it. She tried really hard not to think about it. This wasn't her first time going through it, and it wouldn't be the last. Even if she was still half male, it would have only delayed it and not by much….

"What you're going through?" The youngest Cerulean sister couldn't think of anything going on that proved Ranma was a girl?

"I really don't want to talk about it." Remembering back to when she talked about it with her mother sent shivers down her spine. Her mother assured her it was a completely natural part of womanhood. At the time she wasn't a woman, not fully, now though… even if it was a normal part of being female, she never wanted to discuss or even think about it at again.

Wheels started turning in the older girl's head and she didn't like where the train of thought was going. Ranma didn't mean she was having a…. "Ranma, you haven't been a girl that long."

"It doesn't matter how long I'm a girl, my body builds up the hormones either way. Pops took me to a doctor, and we showed the doc my curse. Besides being overly surprised, he explained how it all works. This isn't my first, can we please change the subject." Even if they could unlock the curse she'd still have to go through this once a month for the rest of her life. With everything that was going on, this was the last thing she wanted to discuss.

"I'm sorry…." Ukyo could hardly believe what Ranma was going through. Still, if what she was saying was true, how did she expect to hide her curse while traveling with herself and Mousse? Wouldn't she have to spend time as a girl? "If you hadn't been locked, would you have told me and Mousse about your curse eventually?"

"That's not changing the subject." It was something she hadn't thought about. If she still could change forms, she'd have to spend some time female. How many things hadn't she thought through? Way too many to count. Getting up she turned away from her aunt and started to walk further away from the group.

"Where are you going?"

"To train, alone. Genma can have my share of lunch. "

Watching Ranma leave, she knew she utterly failed in cheering her nephew up. In fact Ranma seemed worse now. Ukyo hoped when they reached Pewter City her older sister could do something to help the cursed boy.

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Walking up to her parent's old friend she wondered if Takeshi could help her with her problem. Would he help her? Would he side with Chisato? Nodoka steeled herself and decided to try. "Hello."

"Hello Nodoka, my daughter said you were in town. What brings you here? How is your Cloudeon?" The squinty eye old man chuckled. Chisato had told him the answer to his first question already, but there wasn't reason Nodoka couldn't answer it again.

"She's doing fine, she's staying with Professor Okido right now, she's pregnant. The egg should be due anytime soon." Her Cloudeon had started as an Eevee egg her friend's father had given to her after she passed through Pewter city on her Pokemon Journey. "As for why I'm here, I'm meeting my son. He's going through some rather tough times right now."

"Your son? I thought you were meeting your sister and cousin?" Now the former gym leader was tipping his hand, but he was curious why the young woman told his daughter one thing and him another.

"Ranma is under an ancient curse. He turns into a girl with cold water and normally hot water would turn him back into a boy. I understand if you don't believe me, but Ranma is my son, not my daughter. Even if he's trapped as a girl right now, I won't make him go through with my husband's promise to your late son-in-law." The oldest of the four Cerulean sisters hoped the old man believed her. She hoped it wasn't a mistake telling him the truth.

"Jusenkyo, I have heard a few rumors about it. You know the sort of things I went through with your father, there are few things I won't give a benefit of a doubt to." So the redhead was Ranma? He traveled with Satoshi, Chisato traveled with Nodoka, and now Kasumi was with Ranma. In each case it wasn't planned, somehow it just happened, one from his family and one from Satoshi's ended up together. "So you told Chisato your son is a cousin? It's probably for the best, it was Soun's dying wish that the Tendos join with the Saotomes, and my daughter is very adamant about going through with it. I doubt I could dissuade her."

"So I'm going to have to lie to her?" She didn't want to do it, but if she had to…. So many thing where going wrong with Ranma's life right now. Nodoka hated herself for making it worse; she never should have used the Seppuku contract to manipulate him.

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Mousse was very fascinated, while they were waiting for Ranma to return, they had started up a conversation on rare Pokemon. Ukyo was more than happy to accept his Feebass, but he had to accept an Eevee in return. Apparently each of the four sisters received an Eevee egg from Kasumi's grandfather, and Ukyo had neglected hers a little. Ranma's mother had evolved hers into a Cloudeon, and her other two sisters had Vaporeons. On the Eevee subject, Kasumi mentioned she once saw a Shadeon. "Dream stones are the rarest of all the evolution stones. I think there are fifteen Shadeons in the world, and you got to take care of one of them?"

"Yep, its owner had brought her to breed with my grandfather's Igneon." Kasumi was very proud of her grandpa's breeding skills; his Igneon was the very first in the world. Eevee already had water, fire, electric, physic, dark, grass, ice, flying, poison, and ghost type evolution, but it was her grandfather that found its rock type evolution.

"So now all Eevee needs is fighting, ground, bug, steel and dragon type evolutions. Maybe if you're lucky you can discover one of them Mousse." Ukyo sighed, she had one of the most versatile Pokemon in the world and she barely gave it the love and attention it needed. The older boy would take good care of it, and now she would have a Pokemon that her sisters would envy.

"Five types out of fifteen, although Eevees aren't rare they are still utterly amazing. I think if anyone can cause an Eevee to evolve into a fighting type form it would be Makoto. Genma told me she tried training Jean Luc." Although it was all signs, the large Pokemon was very talkative if you paid attention to him. The Snorlax obviously knew the same hidden weapon's technique he knew; he had to be even better at it than himself to hide all those signs on him. The one thing Mousse couldn't understand was how Genma wrote them so fast.

"Speaking of Genma… it's been three hours since Makoto took off, and an hour since Genma took off after her. Are you sure we shouldn't go looking for her ourselves?" The youngest of the four Cerulean sisters was worried about her nephew. Three hours was a long time to be off on her own.

"Makoto's more than capable of taking care of herself; she has both Jean Luc and her new Misdreavus with her. She'll be okay; we just need to stay in one place till she comes back." If Ranma was as skilled as the former Amazon thought he was, then he wouldn't have any problem with the ghost even without his Pokemon.

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What was that, the thirtieth ghost Pokemon Jean Luc took out? Makoto sighed, was this helping raise her partner's level? One thing she was certain, it was exhausting him. "You okay Jean Luc? Do you want me to bring out Kai to deal with the ghost we meet up on the way back?"

"Pika pika chu ka (I'm fine. I want to keep going.)" If Ranma could try as hard as she did the other night, then so could he.

'You won't have to deal with any ghost on the way back.' The ghost stayed away from high level Pokemon, and now that he made his presence known, they would stay away from Ranma. Genma wondered if he should teach Ranma his former master's sealed techniques. The Yamasenken might help him feel more like a man, the Umisenken wasn't quite as macho.

"Pi ka chu? (Where did you come from?)"

"Yeah you're close enough, I should have sensed you." How did her pop's Snorlax do that? She knew every thing Genma did, didn't she?

'You don't know everything I know. You also haven't mastered everything you know. You've been a little too emotional lately.'

"I haven't been able to use that technique when I'm a girl." Sighing again her smaller partner made his way to her shoulder and she started to head back to the others. Her larger Pokemon was right, if she had been using the 'Soul of Ice' technique she wouldn't keep getting so depressed. As a guy she had fully mastered the technique and could let positive emotions leak from the ice, as a girl…. As a girl she was too emotional to use the technique. Not being able to use the 'Soul of Ice' also meant she couldn't use the follow on move, but she didn't have any need for it.

'The Soul of Ice was developed by women. Your father's master stole the technique from Mousse's village. If someone like Shampoo can master it, why can't you?' This morning their former Amazon friend mentioned he wanted to teach Ranma some of his village's techniques. He hadn't told Mousse, but the boy had nothing to teach Ranma. Happosai passed on his stolen techniques to the human Genma, and his former master had already passed them on to Ranma.

"What!?" The… it was developed by women? How many other moves had his father taught him that were developed by 'weak' women? The Kachū Tenshin Amaguriken? The Crouch of the White Tiger? If the Amazon could master the 'Soul of Ice' and they were females all their life, then there was no reason why she couldn't re-master it.

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Mousse watched the two ponytailed girls make dinner. Kasumi helped at every meal but the three of them had been trading off at each meal. Ranma was the best cook out of the three of them; apparently aside from teaching his son the Art the human Genma taught Ranma some of the finer points of womanhood. Ranma could cook, clean, and was very… poor Ranma he would make an excellent wife.

"To think Makoto was the one who was in a rush to get to Pewter City." Ukyo sighed as she finished dinner. She hoped her nephew would return soon. What was she doing?

"Well it's a good thing she's training; my brother never loses to a girl." It was out of jealousy that her mother and grandfather made Akane promise that he wouldn't go out with a girl unless she honestly beat him. Kasumi didn't think Akane was right for Makoto, but the redhead would beat her brother.

"Jean Luc's levels are kind of low; I think the Misdreavus might be more effective though." The former Amazon understood Ranma wanted to focus on his Pikachu, but there would be many opponents that using Jean Luc against would put the redhead at a serious disadvantage.

"My father beat Kasumi's grandfather with his Pikachu, I think Makoto wants to imitate that victory." Considering the pigtailed girl was trying to prove herself manly in her sister's eyes, it made sense.

"Makoto will beat Akane. She won't even have to use Genma." The youngest Tendo put confidence in her words. The older two might not have faith in Makoto, but she was sure the redhead was a strong trainer.

"If I was allowed to, I wouldn't even have to use Jean Luc." It looked like they made it just in time for dinner. Makoto joined the others as her aunt handed both her and Genma plates. After skipping lunch she was really hungry.

"I don't doubt that. You seem to be in a better mood." Mousse couldn't put a finger on it, but Ranma seemed more confident in herself. She felt, more like she did when she was a guy. Genma must have said, or signed, something to cheer her up.

"So tomorrow we started heading to Pewter City so you can beat my brother." Kasumi was really looking forward to the battle. In the six hours Makoto was gone, she was sure her Pokemon had only gotten stronger.

"No, I'm sorry to delay your trip home Kasumi, but I need to do a little more training. I'm going to start after dinner, but I don't think I'll finish by tomorrow morning. This clearing isn't so bad, so I'd like to stay here another day." One day; she would re-master the Soul of Ice in one day. Genma promised her if she could re-master the technique he would teach her the two forms her father had created. Knowing her pops they were anything but girly. Yes, she accepted she was Makoto now, but she was still a Saotome.

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Takeshi looked at Natsumi, the poor Vulpix wasn't doing very well. He had made both his daughter and grandson wait before giving them a Pokemon because they simply wanted a random one he had raised.

Akane was a gym leader through and through. He enjoyed proving himself superior to other trainers. What he couldn't understand is why the boy was so popular. Both he and Chisato had to work for relationships, but Chisato's oldest had girls chasing after him by the dozen.

Nabiki loved her father. She was the only one of the three children that asked him to teach them the Art. At seven years old he started to train her, unfortunately the middle child only had three years with her father as her master. He wasn't sure why Nabiki turned to money as a comfort, but when she thought no one was watching she still practiced what her father taught her.

Kasumi had a love for Pokemon that surpassed even his own. At four she was already helping him and Chisato. She was very close with the Ninetails that gave birth to Natsumi, and was apart of the young Vulpix's life since the day she hatched. Natsumi couldn't wait for Kasumi to earn eight badges. She couldn't even wait for his youngest granddaughter to return with Ranma. Tonight he would have to drop Natsumi off.

Should he let Nodoka know he was leaving? No, if she left with him Chisato might grow suspicious. He couldn't tell her how to be a good parent, and if she knew what he was doing behind her back, she would try to change for the wrong reasons.

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Waking up, Kasumi felt something on top of her. After lifting her head she saw the most unexpected site. It was Natsumi! How had the little Vulpix escaped her grandfather? It didn't really matter, she was here. Slowly getting out of the sleeping bag Mousse provided her with, she hugged the fire Pokemon. "It's so good to see you."

It was time to wake up wasn't it? Sitting up and rubbing her eyes, Ukyo saw their youngest companion hugging a Vulpix. Looking over to her nephew, Ranma sat in the same meditative stance she had been in last night. "Makoto did you sleep at all?"

"Huh?" The youngest Tendo looked at the redhead. Going over and touching the older girl to try to wake her up, the redhead felt frozen. "Makoto's really cold."

"What?" Was there something wrong with her? The oldest of the three girls was worried. "I'm going to get Mousse."

Watching the older ponytailed girl leave the tent, Kasumi couldn't help but wonder what was wrong with Makoto.

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Mousse exited the tent and frowned. If he didn't know better... Ranma was using the 'Soul of Ice' but how would Ranma know that technique? It was also strange how deep the meditation was, Amazons didn't meditate to use the Soul of Ice. This wasn't the normal technique, it was modified somehow. One thing he was sure of though was that Ranma wasn't in any trouble.

"Is Makoto okay?" With Jean Luc on her shoulder and Natsumi in her arms, Kasumi hoped the older girl would be okay. Nabiki sat in a similar position from time to time, but normally she was asleep and could be easily woken up. She had tried shaking Makoto, but the older girl didn't seem phased.

"What's wrong with her?" After they had ate, her nephew went straight to meditating. She had thought the training Ranma was talking about was Pokemon oriented, but instead it seemed like it was for the martial arts.

"Nothings wrong. She's training her mind. The meditation is deep, but she's not in any trouble." He'd have to have a talk with Genma. The Snorlax might have an explanation for him. One thing came to his mind though... the other day he thought the human Genma was as bad as Happosai. Could it be that Ranma's father was the pupil of the terrible master. Could it be that Ranma already knew all he had to teach her. To think Happosai not only stole his tribe's secrets, but also added them to his school, and he passed them on to his students.

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Finally she was here. Looking around the void Makoto sort of wished she had a better imagination. The deepest recess of her mind was nothing but empty space. She had to have had some imagination though, she was no longer wearing the jeans and sleeveless shirt she was wearing before; now she was dressed in a sailor top, and a long pleated green skirt. Why was she wearing these clothes.

"That's a good question."

"I think it looks good on her."

"Him."

"She's a girl, she's accepted that."

"He's not in his right state of mind."

In cartoons, people had angels and devils over their shoulders representing their inner good and evil. In real life she had similar voices inside her head, although she wasn't sure which was good and which was evil. There was a third one that showed up from time to time too. Hopefully she wouldn't see the third one while she was here. The male dressed as she would normally dress except he wore his long hair down, the female dressed in a green princess gown and wore her hair in a ponytail. The third voice was a black furred … "Gee, I think the fact that I'm not the only voice in my head means I'm never in my right mind."

"It's not like we talk to you when you aren't in here." It wasn't as if Ranma truly understood what they were. The male persona mused; at some level he did have to understand or else the three of them wouldn't exist.

"Makoto, we are not separate personalities or anything. We're…"

"Stop that, if he was ready to understand we wouldn't have to tell him. Don't call him Makoto." The princess was always trying to spoil everything. It would be more better for Ranma to learn on his own.

"She's decided to be Makoto Saotome so I think we should both refer to her by that name." The female persona sighed. Why did the male have to be so stubborn. Makoto was finally embracing her destiny, what was wrong about that?

"If that was truly the case then I'd be a girl right now as well. Ranma's still not entirely sure who he is." He really hoped he'd continue to remain male. He was who Ranma was now, he wouldn't deny that thanks to the curse he was part girl, but when all was said and done he was a guy.

"How come you guys can hear my thoughts in here, but I can only hear what you say out loud." The male voice was right. She wasn't sure who she was. Yesterday she accepted that she was a girl, but that could have been the hormones talking more than herself. That was why she entered into such a deep state of meditation despite the fact she didn't need to be in one for the 'Soul of Ice'.

"We are you, but you aren't us." Not yet at least. Ranma had the potential to be either him or the princess, and now with the curse he could even become a mixture of the two of them. The first and third choices were acceptable, the second was not, the princess already had one lifetime. There had been a fourth option thanks to their father, the cat came into existence here, but also thanks to their father the curse weakened the cat's claim on Ranma.

"Why would I ever speak in such riddles?" The princess was her? Looking at the female voice she always wondered where she came from. The girl had been present since the first time she journeyed this deep into her mind, and that was before she was cursed.

"He believes it's for the best that you learn things on your own than have the answers given to you." They had all the answers to Makoto's question, why couldn't they give them to her when she did this soul searching. That was the reason she came this deep into her mind.

"I guess, he has a point. I enjoy solving problems on my own, it's not like I can trust the things that are just handed to me." The answer handed to her by her father were more often or not wrong. The male really was more like herself then the princess. As she thought that though her clothes changed to resemble his, she was still unfortunately female.

"You see, he's not Makoto."

"Maybe she isn't, but maybe she is; just her clothes changed."

"Is my name really such a big deal?" She was sure she could be herself now, but going by the name her father gave her…

"Look I don't care about what Genma thought of us. Ranma is our name, pretending otherwise is giving up. I've never been one for giving up. Are you?"

"So stubborn. Like Ranma, Makoto is a perfectly normal name for a boy or a girl. Why do you cling to the name that fat fool gave us."

The male persona turned from the princess and from Ranma. He wanted to explain his reasoning, but… Ranma had to make the decision on his own. Genma, the human, thought Ranma was unworthy to be his son, but Ranma could show him he was wrong. To use a new name would be running away from who he is. "I am Ranma Saotome."

Makoto wasn't sure how to respond to that statement. She had come this deep into her mind to get answers but instead she had new questions. The male persona had been right though, she needed to figure things out for herself. "Thank you both."

"Makoto…" It was too late. Makoto had disappeared to a higher level of her subconscious where she nor the male persona could communicate with her. The princess frowned, they were both aware of what was going on around Makoto even if she herself wasn't. Makoto needed her power but she couldn't use that power as Ranma. "You may have doom the world."

"No, I don't think so." The male person looked at the princess and then turned and walked away. Ranma was her reincarnation, but Ranma didn't need to be her to use her power. He was sure of it.

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Mousse sat looking through a Pokemon book while Ukyo stared at the tent she shared with Ranma and Kasumi. Their youngest companion was out with Genma and Jean Luc, training Natsumi. The Snorlax promised to talk to him after Kasumi went to sleep that night, so for now he was still wondering whether or not Ranma was an heir to Happosai.

"Do you really think the training will take all day?" Ukyo didn't like what Ranma was doing at all. The fact that her nephew was frozen and in such a deep trance couldn't be good.

"I don't know. I'm still not entirely sure what Ranma is trying to accomplish." Kasumi wasn't in the area so the former Amazon saw no need to refer to the cursed boy as Makoto. Ukyo had mentioned in private that Ranma wanted to be Makoto, but at the time she also mentioned Ranma was going through something uniquely female. It was possible Ranma didn't truly think her thoughts out.

"You think we should keep calling her that?" She agreed, Ranma's acceptance of the name she gave her, just to fool Kasumi, seemed wrong. The youngest Cerulean sister didn't want her nephew to stop being herself and become someone else.

"I think we should just tell Kasumi the truth and save calling her Makoto for when we're around the other Tendos." The little girl looked up to Ranma and after the last day and a half, he believed she'd accept the truth about Makoto.

"I don't know about that." Who knew what would happen to Kasumi's hero worship if she knew the girl she admired so much was really a boy. That and, what made Mousse believe Kasumi would accept that Ranma was anything but the girl she admired? Ukyo shook her head.

-v-

Lio's Corner:

-I started work on this chapter as soon as I finished the previous one. However like the previous one it took some time to hammer out exactly what I wanted to go on.

-mythicalprogrammer: Genma(p) isn't your typical Snorlax, but he is quite strong.

-ranma girl 14: Ranma won't kick Akane's ass, although expect one shoe to be on the other foot.

-KaitonLocke: If you guys got these chapter straight from me I can assure you there would be a lot of butchered grammar. Fortunately J.C. St. Patrick and Wray Loflin help me make the chapters readable.

-Requiem the Relentless: Sorry, like giving Ranma Pokemon powers I thought making Genma(h) an actual Pokemon would be too ridiculous. Maybe other fic writers can pull it off, but I'm afraid I can't.

-solo77: Sorry, Mousse is getting the Eevee. It was my intention that with the exception of Mumu-chan, the Amazon be a Normal type trainer. Since he's giving Ukyo his Feebas, I thought an Eevee be a fair trade.

-Someone will be getting a Machop, but it won't be Ranma. The party is going to lose one member and gain another.

-Feel free to continue suggesting Pokemon for Ranma, and make some suggestions Kasumi too.

-The next chapter will be something a little different, stay tuned.

Update 22 Mar 09:

-Correction and a major revision of the scene with Ranma deep within his mind.


	7. Ch6: The Lost Boy and the Ghostly Girl

The characters of Ranma ½ and Pokemon are not mine. Nor do any of the other known characters that may appear in this story.

2 B a Master by Lioconvoy

Chapter 6: The Lost Boy and the Ghostly Girl.

The first town in Kanto was Viridian city. Ryoga had been there once or twice with his grandfather. Before carrying on the work of his great grandfather, Shigeru Okido was the town's Gym Leader. The lost boy often wondered if maybe his grandfather could have found someone better to take over the gym instead of the strange guy dressed in island clothing. Returning from memory lane, he looked around and was quite sure he wasn't in Viridian city. "Where in the world am I now!"

"This is Violet City. The first gym of Johto is here. Who knew that the Dark Cave and Tohjo Falls were connected?"

"Well I did have to smash a few walls…" When he started this journey he was alone, but now he had Hikaru with him. He had hoped her sense of direction was better than his, but she let him lead the way. The lost boy frowned he was in the wrong region. Ranma was beating the Kanto Gym Leaders, and he would have to settle for the Johto Gym leaders. However they shared the same Elite Four, so he could run into Ranma at Indigo Plateau.

"Let's go to the Pokemon Center." Hikaru cracked a small smile. She hoped the Akane fan site had updated. It had taken some time for the spirits to answer her call, but now her guide was with her. Ryoga would lead her to the promised land. She would meet Akane, and he would fall in love with her.

"Sure, Charmeleon looks pretty tired too. All those Zubats, Geodudes, Golbats, and Gravelers were really annoying." Not as annoying as the fact Hikaru didn't help him at all. Following his companion Ryoga wondered just what was up with her. Most people looking at her would see a skinny but cute paled skin boy. Her face was feminine, but the male school uniform she wore hid her figure. The two Gastly that always hovered over her shoulders probably kept people form getting too close to her. If not for the fact he had seen the ravened haired girl naked he'd probably think she was a boy too.

-v-One Week Ago-v-

Ryoga was lost. He had no idea where he and his Charmeleon had ended up. Maybe he shouldn't have entered that cave….

"Char" It was so sad his master had no sense of direction. It didn't help that spending so much time with Ryoga had dulled the fire lizard's own senses. Still Ryoga was a great trainer and made him strong.

"I wish I had some understanding of what you're saying. Ranma and that pigtailed girl could understand their Pikachus." It was kind of lonely just traveling with his Pokemon, they could have conversations, but he couldn't understand his Charmeleon, and he wasn't sure the Pokemon truly understood him.

"Mel!" Water, the Charmeleon heard water. Maybe if they followed the water they could find there way out of the cave. Pointing in the direction of the sound he hoped his master would understand.

"What is it guy?" His Pokemon was pointing somewhere, was it the way out? Quickly he went in the direction his partner pointed and within a few minutes they had found an underground waterfall. Looking at the falls Ryoga blushed bright red; there was a naked girl sitting underneath the waterfall meditating. Two Gastly stood guard and upon seeing him, they started circling around him and his Charmeleon.

"Anubis, Osiris, what disturbs you?"

The girl now had her eyes open and was looking at him. Her voice was cold and emotionless, which added to her scary stare, made him very worried. "…I didn't mean to…. Me and Charmeleon are lost…. Um I'm sorry I saw…."

"My body is for Akane alone."

Ryoga watched the girl get out of the waterfall and headed towards a small pile of clothing. The two ghosts left him and his partner and started hovering over her shoulders. He probably should have closed his eyes, but he was afraid the girl would send her ghost Pokemon after him if he showed the slightest sign of fear.

"Who are you?"

Ryoga shivered, he noticed the girl had four pokeballs; it was possible that like Ranma none of those Pokeballs belonged to the two ghosts over her shoulders and that each was filled with more powerful Pokemon. He gulped and made sure to give her the truth. "I'm Ryoga Hibiki, I'm from Pallet town and I got lost in this cave…"

"From Pallet town, in Kanto?"

After getting dressed the girl walked over to him and started looking him over. He was very uncomfortable with her gaze. Ryoga gulped again before answering the question. "Yes."

"The spirits have brought me a guide. You shall take me to my destiny."

-v-Present Day-v-

It wasn't until later that Hikaru finally introduced herself. Well he wasn't lonely anymore, but ghost trainer was a little creepy, still he kind of liked her. Just like the redhead he didn't stand a chance with her, since she started traveling with him and his partner he learned Akane was a gym leader in Pewter City and she only had eyes for him.

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-

While Ryoga was getting his partner looked at, Hikaru borrowed one of the center's computers and logged on to the Akane fan site. As she had hoped Akane was still undefeated. Well, a few males had earned badges from the rock leader's gym, but no girl had won his heart yet. Going from the records page to the gallery she envied the photographer; he or she got to see Akane and all his glory on a daily basis.

Someday, maybe not too soon, Akane would be hers. She prayed, and cleansed her body, and the gods rewarded her with a guide. A guide with a bad sense of direction; but she would have faith, Ryoga would someday take her to meet he destined love. Until then he wasn't that bad to look at, he was handsome, but no comparison to Akane's glory.

There was no doubt in her mind her plan would succeed. No girl had ever defeated the Pewter city Gym Leader, but Ryoga was strong, he would beat Akane, and with her true love's Pokemon weakened she would claim a victory of her own. Destiny would bring her and Akane Tendo together and nothing would stand in her way.

"Hey Hikaru, show me where the gym is."

"Coming." The ghost trainer frowned. Ryoga would lead their overall travels and bring her to Akane, but in the towns, maybe it was for the best if she guided him. They could be here for a month looking for the gym otherwise.

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-

A Flying Pokemon Gym, this should be an easy battle. Ryoga smiled, this would be his first gym battle and his first victory. "Any tips before I beat this gym."

"Fire-type Pokemon are not strong or weak against Flying-type Pokemon. You have no advantage or disadvantage." Judging from what Hikaru saw underground the lost boy's partner was at a very high level. Ryoga's confidence might not be displaced, but the bandana clad boy did have one weakness; he only had the one Pokemon.

"Um, I knew that." Ryoga sighed, yes this was his first Pokemon Journey, but unlike his rival he knew a lot about the world of Pokemon. He didn't pay to much attention to gyms and gym leaders since his mother was just as afraid of him taking a Pokemon Journey as she was of him going on a martial arts journey with his father. Still he knew about Pokemon, types, and weaknesses.

"Did you also know Hayato, like his grandfather he is named for, possesses a 'flying' Dodrio?" The Ghost-type trainer didn't know her companion that well yet so what he did and did not know was unknown to her. Still, he didn't know who Akane was, so she assumed he wasn't too knowledgeable about the Pokemon world. Who in their right mind didn't know who Akane Tendo was?

"No, I didn't." He had heard a story from Ranma's mother once about her father beating a strong bird trainer with his Charizard. If his grandfather's rival could beat the previous Hayato, then he could beat the current one.

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-

Hikaru watched from the sidelines; before being allowed to challenge the leader Ryoga had to beat two of the gym's trainers. He didn't seem to have many problems, but his partner only used moves that a low level Charmeleon would know. As tough as the lost boy's partner was, there was no way his levels were that low. Her guide was smart; after watching the battles, Hayato would underestimate him.

"Okay Hayato, I'm ready for you." Ryoga was more than ready. His partner was warmed up and now he'd get his badge.

"You sure you don't want a rest?" Hayato was ready to take on the challenger, but he wanted to be fair. The boy only had one Pokemon.

"I'll beat you here and now." The lost boy wouldn't beat Ranma if he didn't challenge his partner. "Are you ready Charmeleon?"

"Char." These birds weren't hard; they were slow compared to the Snorlax that took him down.

"Unless you're the one you're afraid of losing, let's get this over with."

Ryoga was overflowing with confidence. Hikaru, praised the gods, her guide would truly make her dream reality. In a few months after the lost boy had beaten all the leaders in Johto, they would travel to Kanto and then, Akane would be hers. Turning her attention back to the fight, she watched Hayato summon his Dodrio.

"I'll be nice and make this a one on one battle. I'll let you have the first hit." Hayato didn't want people thinking he was picking on a weak trainer.

"Charmeleon, dig!" This would throw the birdbrain off guard. Ryoga would make this his signature move, it set things up that no one would expect.

"You can't touch Dodrio if he's in the air. Fly!"

Ryoga smirked, the bird leapt into the air, it had powerful legs, but it couldn't really fly. "Charmeleon, uppercut!

The fire lizard came out from underground and jumped high, but not high enough. What Hikaru couldn't understand was why an uppercut. It wasn't even a Pokemon move. As the lost boy's partner came down so did the Dodrio.

"Dodrio, Aerial Ace!"

Now the ghost trainer watched as the three headed bird swooped and hit the fire lizard. The lost boy's Charmeleon hit the ground hard, but…it seemed unfazed. Hikaru's eyes opened wide: the lizard's mouth opened and with the Dodrio in front of it, it released a powerful Fire Blast attack. The three headed bird was completely off guard and was hurt badly.

"I lose." Hayato was disappointed but he smiled anyway. He completely underestimated his opponent. "Congratulations, you just earned your Zephyr Badge."

"Thank you." One badge down, seven to go. After his Charmeleon made its way to him he patted it on its head. "Good job partner."

"You have yourself a strong Pokemon, but don't expect every gym leader to underestimate you as I have…." Two ghosts floated over to the young man and then Hayato blinked, between the ghosts was a young man in a school uniform. His opponent was traveling with Hikaru of the Ecruteak city gym. Next to Tabatha of Blackthorn, Hikaru was the strongest gym leader in Johto, however the ghost trainer was rarely at his gym. Ryoga was starting late, but he had a good teacher. "As well as receiving my gym's badge, I give to you my favorite TM; Aerial Ace."

"Thank you." The lost boy accepted both items, and then turned to leave the gym. It seemed like the gym leader was going to say something more, but stopped after he noticed Hikaru.

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-

Ten minutes later they were at the Pokemon Center. Ryoga sat down at a table with Hikaru, while his partner got looked at by Nurse Joy. "Hayato looked like he was going to say something more before you joined us."

"He was probably going to say that you should not rely on only one Pokemon. I don't know why he did not finish his sentence though." That of course was a lie, Hayato probably recognized her. Hikaru was grateful he didn't mention who she was to Ryoga. The lost boy didn't need to know yet.

"Yeah well I don't know about that. Charmeleon is pretty powerful, and when I'm done training him even water-type Pokemon won't stand a chance against him." Further teaching his partner the martial arts he knew would definitely make his partner stronger than even the highest level of Pokemon. Ranma's Snorlax practiced the martial arts and it was ridiculously strong, and the pigtailed girl tried to teach her Pikachu to strengthen it. Since his partner already knew the basics of his family's style, it shouldn't be too hard to finish the training.

"Ryoga, you're forgetting about Ghosts and Psychics. Their attacks will go right through your Charmeleon's superior defense. You're going to need other Pokemon to make up for that weakness. Although most trainers choose one type of Pokemon and stick to only that type, the truly strong trainers are those that balance their types." Hikaru needed her guide to be ready. After he gets eight gym badges Akane won't be likely to underestimate him as Hayato had. "I am impressed though, I never would have thought your smashing walls was a form of training."

"Well I noticed quickly what the Bakusai Tenketsu was doing for me, so I thought it help my partner too." It had cost him a stone, but Ryoga would always be grateful to the pigtailed girl for teaching him that move.

-v-The day after losing to Ranma-v-

Ryoga finished looking through the Pokedex his grandfather gave him. It was an improved upon version his great grandfather created as it listed all the known Pokemon attacks. Nothing that a Snorlax could learn even sounded remotely similar to what Ranma's had done. Getting off of the rock he punched and it broke into several pieces.

"Wow you're strong."

"I'm a martial artist." Turning around Ryoga saw a cute redhead with her hair in a pigtail similar to Ranma's. Pallet town wasn't so big, and he didn't recognize her as a resident, but she did look similar to his friend. Maybe she was a relative of Ranma's passing through? "What brings you out here?"

"I'm trying to teach my Pikachu martial arts. I'm not having much luck at it."

"I started to teach my Charmeleon the martial arts when I first got him. My grandfather said Pokemon should learn Pokemon moves, and I stopped teaching him after that. My partner knows some pretty useful and powerful Pokemon moves now." The TM's cost him a bit of his allowance but he thought it bad been worth it, before his battle with his old friend yesterday he had never lost, and that included against his sister who had six Pokemon.

"I don't know if every Pokemon can learn martial arts, but I don't see why people only try to teach fighting type Pokemon. Who knows, if a Pikachu mastered a martial art we could see a whole new evolution."

"Any thing is possible." Was that what the male pigtailed trainer did? Had Ranma taught his Snorlax martial arts? Ryoga wondered how much stronger could his partner get if he continued what he started.

"Well, it was nice meeting you; I need to visit my cousin."

"Wait, how about a sparring match first?" He was right the pigtailed girl was related to Ranma. He lost to his friend but there was no way he'd lose to a girl.

"Sorry I don't think you'd be much of a challenge. I mean sure you're strong, but your technique is lacking."

What did she mean by that? As if to explain herself the redhead went over to another rock slightly bigger than the one he had been sitting on, and with one finger shattered the rock in to millions of tiny pieces. Faster than he could blink she caught each and every piece. "What?"

"Really I'm supposed to let the pieces hit me, but my mo… my aunt would get mad at me if I come back a mess."

"Could you teach me how to do that?" There was no way that the redhead was as strong as he was so it was a technique. He didn't entirely understand the point of letting the fragments hit the performer, but there had to be some reason behind it.

"Well I guess, but what's in it for me?"

"Uh…." Ryoga searched through his pockets what did he have that the girl might be interested in? Unfortunately all he pulled out was an everstone. "You wouldn't be willing to take this?"

"What is it?"

As the pigtailed girl took the stone from his hand he noticed it glowed and then turned pink. "I thought it was an everstone, but they don't turn colors."

"So it might just be something special? I'll take it if you're still willing to part with it."

"Sure." He hadn't had much use for the everstone in the first place; he really couldn't think of anything he'd need a pink stone for either.

-v-Two days later-v-

He did it. After two days of training with pigtailed girl he mastered the Bakusai Tenketsu. She would be showing up soon to see how he was doing and he couldn't wait to show her. The last two days had really been great, part of him wished he could spend forever training with the redhead but she said would only be in town for the week. There were other girls his age in pallet town, but the pigtailed girl was the first he had such feelings for.

"Hey Ryoga how's it going today?"

"I've mastered it." He couldn't help but wonder, what did the redhead think of him? Did she think anything of him at all, in the two days she trained him she'd always change the subject when ever he asker her name.

"Really? That's amazing. It took me two weeks; I didn't think you'd be able to master the Bakusai Tenketsu before I left."

Ryoga smiled and demonstrated his mastery of the technique for the redhead. This time when the fragments hit him it didn't hurt quite as much as it had before. "Well what do you think?"

"I think you're amazing."

"Thank you, I think you're pretty amazing too." Should he ask…what if she already had a boyfriend in her home town… maybe he should just ask, it might not hurt as much if he knew. "Um, you don't have a boyfriend or anything do you?"

"What?!"

It was obvious she wasn't expecting the question, and jumped back a little in shock. The shock remained on her face as she scratched the base of her pigtail. Ryoga wasn't exactly sure what this reaction meant. "I'm sorry, it's just…."

"Ryoga, you're a nice guy and I'm sure you'll find a girl who's interested in you, but I don't… I don't feel the same way for you. Right now, I don't really have the time for a relationship anyway."

"I understand." Maybe he didn't have time for a relationship either. His parents were going away on a trip soon and he'd be in his grandfather's care. That would be the perfect time to go on a training journey of his own.

-v-Now-v-

After reflecting on the past Ryoga felt a bit of heartache and disappointment. He wished things ended differently with the pigtailed girl. While he was with her his anger towards Ranma seemed so insignificant. After spending the morning with her he got along better with Ranma in the afternoon. His rival never admitted a family relationship with the redhead, but it was fairly obvious just by looking at her.

"Ryoga, I don't know what you're thinking about, but what you should be thinking about is what kind of Pokemon you want to add to your party." Hikaru frowned. Her guide was blushing…his mind must be wandering. She needed him to remain focused.

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-

Kyo frowned; who knew where his son was now. A training journey would do Ryoga good, but the boy inherited his sense of direction, would he ever make it home? Sighing, he felt sorry for his father-in-law.

"Father, you know how bad Ryoga's sense of direction is! How could you let him run off? Who knows where he is now!" Yuko had been so careful; ever since it became apparent her oldest child was as hopeless as his father, she made sure Ryoga never left Pallet town. She forbade her husband from taking him on a martial arts training journey and she didn't allow Ryoga to go on a Pokemon journey when he turned twelve.

"Yuko, he's sixteen and more than capable of taking care of himself. Yoiko is fourteen and goes out all the time; you have no problem with that." Shigeru frowned he had always thought his daughter was too over protective of his oldest grandchild. Ryoga deserved the chance to go out and explore the world. He wasn't alone, he had his Charmeleon with him, and he was sure the boy would make many new friends along the way.

"Yoiko didn't inherit the Hibiki sense of direction. I don't have to worry about her ending up in Orre. Who knows where Ryoga is!"

"He's in Violet City and he just earned his Zephyr badge." Ginny frowned and joined her boss's family in the lab. In her opinion the Professor's grandson had every right to go out into the world. "He just emailed me. He's not alone either he's traveling with a girl about his age."

"Thank you for that good news, Ginny. You see, there's nothing to worry about Ryoga is just fine." The Pokemon Professor chuckled a little. When he traveled Kanto he had a squad of cheerleaders following him around. It seemed some Okido blood did run through his grandson's veins after all.

"Ryoga isn't alone?" Maybe if her son had someone with him things wouldn't be so bad. She was still very worried, but… her father was right, Yoiko got to go on a Pokemon Journey, why shouldn't Ryoga? Yuko sighed. "Where is Yoiko, shouldn't she be back from Pewter City already?"

"She returned the day after her brother left, and went after him. She assumed you'd want her to bring him back." Shigeru prepared himself for another of his daughter's rants.

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-

Ryoga had a bad feeling. Hurrying in the opposite direction of the scream, he hoped he didn't run into who he thought had found him. His mother was bad enough, but her…

"Ryoga, what are we running to?" Hikaru followed her guide back toward the entrance of Violet city they had come through earlier. As they had exited the Pokemon Center she could barely make out some one yelling something like 'Ryoga, this is all your fault.'

"Running to?" Curse his sense of direction! Quickly turning to the opposite direction, Ryoga hoped beyond hope he could avoid her.

"Ryoga! Where do you think you're going?!"

Now the ghost trainer's guide was frozen in his tracks. In front of her was a younger girl in dirty and ripped clothes. The brown haired girl looked similar to the lost boy, and even had the same fangs. In her arms was a Spoink wearing a similar bandana to Ryoga. The girl and her partner looked very pissed. "Ryoga, who is this?"

Slowly turning, Ryoga couldn't stop sweating. He was sure he'd start shriveling up soon. "Yoiko, uh… what happened to you?"

"WHAT HAPPENED TO ME? You know mom doesn't want you leaving Pallet Town and yet you left anyway. I wanted to help grandpa by finding you, p-chan followed your scent all the way to the Kanto side of Tohjo Falls. I thought I was in luck that you'd get yourself turned around and come back out the same way you entered. I waited a half a day and when you didn't show up I went in after you. WHAT WERE YOU THINKING SMASHING HOLES THROUGH THE CAVE WALLS!" Yoiko took a deep breath. She didn't even know where she was. Unlike Ryoga she was allowed to travel outside of Pallet Town, however she never journeyed beyond Kanto. "I went through your holes and some of them nearly collapsed on me."

"So Dark Cave no longer connects to Tohjo Falls?" Hikaru wondered if that was a good or bad thing. In the end it didn't truly matter. Her guide's little sister didn't seem too happy about her question. "Welcome to Violet City."

"Violet City? You mean I only ended up in Johto." Maybe her mother's tales of her father's sense of direction were exaggerated; still, she was in Violet City? Right now she was tired and dirty. She'd pound her brother later. She'd also make him pay for the repels she used to catch up with him. "Where's the Pokemon Center?"

"Follow me"

Ryoga stood still as Yoiko followed Hikaru back to the Pokemon center. It was starting to get dark and somehow he had the feeling he was going to be occupied for a bit after his sister cleaned herself up. Ever since Yoiko returned from her own Pokemon Journey she had looked down on him for not being the man Nabiki's older brother was. She had taken care never to say the name of her friend's brother because she thought he wasn't worthy to say it. He really missed the days when she used to look up to him. Before the two girls were out of sight he hurried to catch up with them. If he lost them he would be in even more trouble.

-v-v-

Lio's Corner:

-Kyo looks like an adult Ryoga.

-Yuko, looks very much like an older version of Garry/Shigeru's sister.

-Yoiko, looks like a younger version of Garry/Shigeru's although as mentioned she has the Hibiki fangs. She also wears her hair in two braided pigtails.

-Requiem the Relentless: That's what I meant too. I though it be to silly for the human Genma to have a Pokemon curse.

-Usam :Hung Nugen's Fist of a Pikachu was an inspiration for this story. Raltz may be a later Pokemon, but maybe not for Ranma.

-Dragon Man 180: A Dratini is not impossible. Ukyo had one, she could give Kasumi and egg. However, Kasumi will be taking the gym challenges just like Ranma.

-enderverse: I'm sorry to say this story is not without uber powerful Pokemon. Genma(p) and Ryoga's Charmeleon are pretty strong. Charmeleon, know the basics of Ryoga's style and he'll be learning more. As for Ranma training a non normal/fighting of his own, well he'll need to find the right Pokemon.

-Aceina: Ranma will continue to have some problems, nothing as drastic as what he's gone through.


End file.
